What doesn't go with water?

Think about it...what doesn’t go with water? Even a certain percentage of the human body is water, it helps to quench our thirst as well. But have you thought about how it quenches our thirst for play? How do you know what kind of components you want to buy to accomplish this? It seems simple: you need something that sprays water or holds water to jump into, right? Not always so.

There are some important things to consider. Tom Lilly of Rain Drop Products shed some light on the subject. “When choosing a component for water play, they should consider the age and abilities of the child to determine the height and flow rates of the feature for maximum enjoyment.”

Play components should also be constructed of a durable material able to handle construction as well as renovations. These are a few questions to ask in case you may want to make changes to the area later or might need to be able to repair components in the future. You will also want to consider versatility of the components as well to be sure the piece will function as you want in your play area.

You also want to think about why you would want a water play area. The most obvious reasons are to have fun and get wet while doing so. One of the great things about the water play areas though, is that there isn’t always a lake or ocean accessible for everyone to play in. If your favorite place to play is in a park in the middle of the city, water components could possibly be installed there to bring the water fun to an area that may not have had that available before, which can equal that much more play enjoyment. The fun is there for the taking with water play, and not just for the kids, for the whole family.

With that said, there are some great water play options out there today, and here are a few companies who have it figured out. They may have what you’re looking for and are well-versed in what could work well for your particular water play area.

Aquajeux International, Inc.

Since 1993, Aquajeux has been producing zero-depth options for water play. They feature a line of interactive water toys as well as interactive ground sprays with seven climbable non-slip Aquapets for younger children, such as the Crocodile and the Rana. Your concerns are their concerns as their products are designed with that

knowledge in mind. Recirculation, water usage levels, and treatment choices are part of those concerns addressed with their products. Aquajeux also accommodates specific site needs by offering different configuration options. To find out more, visit www.aquajeux.com or contact them at 888-441-2040.

Empex Watertoys

Say hello to fun, interactive Watertoys by Empex. They offer Aquatons spray features, climb and slide Aquadeks, as well as Aquajets ground sprays that can be installed anywhere from a park and rec center, to a resort and hotel, to the YMCA, a waterpark, or a daycare, or even at the country club.

They’ve products are designed without metal components and offer a lifetime corrosion warranty. The specialty plastics used are lighter than metal and do not require an elaborate foundation or embedded anchors. This option makes it possible to cut costs for construction. It can also be easily removed or interchanged to give your play area a little makeover from year to year. Because they use plastics, they are lightning proof structures, which is a safety plus. Protruding valves are not an issue, thus eliminating entrapment possibilities.

Plastics also make a broad range of diversity possible for creation of this unique type of Aquatecture. Its signature variety of colors and different water presentations that emit from each feature make these a dynamic playground option. Call 905-649-5047 or visit www.watertoys.com to find out more about what Empex has to offer.

Rain Drop Products, LLC.

The OmniPod water playground components are what's new with Rain Drop Products. This new addition to their line of zero-depth play structures is the first in-ground component that helps facilitate changeable water park features not only above, but below the surface as well. This gives you more options for configuration of your park. There are customers out there who actually make fairly frequent changes to create a fresh environment since the OmniPod also helps make expansion possible. It is manufactured using polymer components, so it does not rust, and also features a leak-proof UNISEAL internal gasket to guard against leaking. This patent-pending technology supports approximately 80 of Rain Drop current spray features.

Headquartered in Ashland, Ohio, Rain Drop has been designing water play component for over 20 years. They offer quality and original designs that have full OEM warranty, and pride themselves on manufacturing from highest quality exacting standards in the industry. For more information, call 800-343-6063 or visit www.rain-drop.com.

GameTime

GameTime has a new attraction making a big splash in Singapore at the Jurong Birdpark: the Jurong Birdpark GTH2O spray park. This world famous bird sanctuary has had a spray park added to make the experience that much more interactive. It has a Splash ‘N Slide area that features both a wet and dry playground that has become very popular. You can get a closer look at this one at www.birdpark.com/sg/attractions/splashnslide.htm. This is actually the first time a spray park has been installed in Singapore. Take a look at what else GameTime is up to at www.gametime.com or call 800-235-2440.

Vortex Aquatic Structures

Exceptional aquatic play environments are Vortex's specialty. Outstanding customer service and value are part of the package they offer with their products, which also represent the knowledge and experience of their expertise in the industry. Over the past decade they have continued to bring new creations and innovations to the aquatic industry. The Splashpads are an exciting zero-depth environment that offer an exhilarating play experience that have brought enhanced play value, safety and maximum durability together while still being a low-cost operation. For more information, call 877-5-VORTEX or visit www.vortex-intl.com and take a look at what they have to offer.

Recreation Supply Company

Where do you find the accessories you need for water play or your pool? Recreation Supply Company has now added sixteen new water play elements to its line. They range from things such as cleaning products to poolside mounted basketball hoops to volleyball nets that also have the hoop mounted to the outside making it easy to turn the product around after lowering the net for some water basketball play. Log on to www.recsupply.com or call 800-437-8072 to find out more.

Water Play Manufacturing, Inc.

WaterPlay has added a new twist to the aquatic industry as it has launched its new I-Spy Storm. This new spray park component features a transparent pipe through which water floods in various directions, rates and patterns. This makes for a new play experience each time it is used. Water also sprays from the base while somewhat of a tornado-like helix of water is pushed to the top and erupts in a dome of spray. These components are great for use with other transparent I-Spy components or could even be used with other brightly colored components. For more information, call 250-712-3393 or visit www.waterplay.com.

Whitewater West Industries Ltd.

Whitewater generally means excitement, especially if you're on a raft. In this case, it even means excitement in the water park. Its custom designed water parks are designed with different themes, such as the Rustic Farm theme at the Holiday Inn Amana Colonies in Iowa. This one features two indoor-outdoor waterslides as well as a multi-level interactive AquaPlay area. This is one of those structures that features fun for the entire family. You can see more of this one at www.wasserbahn.com.

Whitewater is an internationally-renowned company which, for the past 16 years, has provided services ranging from concept and master planning, all the way through to the design and construction documents, to manufacturing. They don't stop there either…they are involved all the way through the installation process of their full-service waterpark creations.

Whitewater designs include rides ranging from mini kids-slides even to body flumes in a great variety of sizes and shapes. The Flowrider surfing machine and Wave Pools are a couple of varieties of their non-slide products. The Slidewinder and WaterCoaster are also part of meir contemporary design line. Its architecture, engineering, manufacturing and installation team help make these non-traditional designs possible. To find out more about design possibilities, visit www.whitewaterwest.com or call 604-273-1068.