A lot of aging aquatic facilities might still be attracting plenty of guests to the pool, but are home to outdated kiddie pools. These smaller, shallow pools have low play value, and can easily be replaced with an option that will bring more guests to the facility—a splash pad!
Q. We’d like to replace our outdated kiddie pool, but we’re not sure what would be the best option. How might a splash play area benefit our facility?
A. In short, your outdated kiddie pool isn’t attracting any guests, but splash pads are tremendously popular, and will attract more visitors from a wider age range. And the more people you bring through the gate to your facility, the closer you’ll get to covering your aquatic facility’s expenses.
Splash play areas help meet the rising trend of intergenerational play, providing a space that encourages people of all ages to have a splashing good time. Offering a variety of water features and providing a flow from gentler features to more active splash play makes the splash pad even more inclusive.
Another benefit you’ll see relates to safety and staffing. Because a splash pad features no standing water, you won’t need a lifeguard watching over visitors, and parents may feel more comfortable letting their younger children play.
You’ll also save time and resources on your splash play area. With less water to manage, a splash pad will require less maintenance than your kiddie pool. In addition, they’ll require fewer chemicals to treat the water, which means a lower operating cost.
Splash pads will also help improve the aesthetics and “curb appeal” of your facility. While a kiddie pool features flat water, a splash pad includes colorful eye-catching sprays and play elements. You can even add lighting, helping draw attention to your facility after dark.
Finally, you can keep your splash pad open beyond the traditional pool operating season, typically from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Splash pads can open earlier and close later in the year, providing a way for visitors to have fun in the water outside of the traditional swim season.
Renovating your kiddie pool into a splash pad is relatively simple. First, the smaller pool’s concrete will need to be demolished, and new concrete installed, with piping installed for the various splash pad features.
For More Information
Water Odyssey
512-392-1155
www.waterodyssey.com