Whether installing a new splash pad or updating an existing splash pad, ground sprays are an easy way to create an inclusive and multigenerational space. Not only are ground sprays more inclusive, but they also provide health and safety benefits, encourage creative play, and provide an active learning environment that also encourages social, emotional, and family togetherness.
Inclusion & Safety
Ground sprays transform ordinary spaces, ensuring hours of laughter and endless fun for kids and adults alike. Who can resist the allure of dancing, playing, and splashing around in an array of deck jets?
One of the biggest advantages of ground sprays is their inclusivity. Unlike structures like waterslides or climbing walls that may pose challenges for children with physical disabilities, ground sprays provide an opportunity for everyone to join the fun. Children in wheelchairs or with limited mobility can easily access and enjoy the water play without feeling left out. Ground sprays are inherently suited for accessibility. These water features are typically flush with the concrete surface, creating a continuous deck surface that maximizes ease of maneuverability.
Ground sprays are also designed with safety in mind. Spray parks equipped with ground sprays offer a safer alternative to traditional swimming pools. With no standing water, the risk of drowning is significantly reduced. The water pressure from the ground sprays is carefully regulated to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience. The ground surface surrounding the deck jets is often made from nonslip materials to prevent accidents.
Creative Expression
Ground sprays come in a wide variety of designs, patterns, and colors, enhancing the visual appeal of the splash pad. From whimsical flowers to playful animals, these interactive water features spark the imagination and encourage creative water play. The splash pad equipment can feature different water effects including fine and heavy particle misters, water fans, vertical and arching streams, vertical and arching water fans, water sheets, water flowers, water cones, and bubbling aerated mounds of water. Each effect appeals to different age groups and can be used in a variety of ways to promote multigenerational water play.
Misting ground sprays emit a fine mist that creates the look of fog with a cooling sensation. Misting effects may be a good option when water conservation is needed. It is important to note that wind heavily impacts the visual performance of misters and can carry the fine water particles away from the water play area.
Ground sprays that produce vertical or arching streams and aerated mounds can vary in the shape of the water effect. Solid stream effects invite patrons to crawl under and in between the arching streams.
Ground sprays that produce aerated streams as well as aerated mounds usually require more water; however, they are soft to the skin, which appeals to toddlers and those sensitive to stimulation. Ground sprays that produce sheeting domes of water are very popular. They create interesting shapes, especially when you use your fingers to break apart the water shapes. Ground sprays that produce fans of sheeting water are especially fun to pass through or crawl under.
Ground sprays can enhance water play with programmed events to create choreographed water shows and sequences. Imagine being a conductor of a water show, or anticipating where the next deck jet will pop up.
Additionally, some ground sprays incorporate LED lights. This allows a whole new opportunity for choreographed water and light shows, extended hours during the warm months, and even custom holiday shows.
Multigenerational Appeal
Splash pads should be designed to appeal to people of all ages, from toddlers to seniors. This can be achieved by incorporating a variety of features that cater to different age groups, such as low-flow water play areas for toddlers, interactive water jets for older children, and shaded seating areas for parents and grandparents.
Splash pads should also be designed with diversity and representation in mind. This can include incorporating water features that reflect the cultural backgrounds and interests of the surrounding community, as well as ensuring that signage and other information is available in multiple languages.
While children dash and dance through water jets, older adults can engage in gentle, low-impact exercise, improving their mobility and overall physical health. This shared activity also promotes mental well-being across generations.
A family outing to a spray park is more than just play; it’s an opportunity for bonding. These moments allow families to create lasting memories and strengthen their ties in a relaxed, joyful setting. Children learn valuable social skills such as sharing, patience, and empathy in a multigenerational setting.
Learning, Teaching & Sensory Benefits
Spray parks can be excellent venues for informal teaching and learning. Grandparents might explain water dynamics or share memories of past water play, while younger family members can showcase their adventurous spirit and creativity.
Sensory challenges relating to overstimulation are also an important consideration when designing a splash pad. People with sensory processing disorders may find the noise and activity of a splash pad overwhelming, so it’s important to include areas of the splash pad that are quieter and less stimulating. Additionally, incorporating features like water curtains, misters, and bubblers can provide a variety of tactile experiences that can be enjoyable for people with sensory processing disorders.
It is important to have zones with lower water use that progress through a sequencing path. Many elements are available that make play sequencing an engaging attraction. One can start with a range of bubblers and water-weaving features to create visually interesting patterns, which draw users into the splash pad without the fear of being confronted with a lot of water all at once.
Not only does the naturally inclusive landscape of a splash pad offer a fun adventure for a community, but it also satisfies their unique physical and cognitive needs. A variety of ground sprays creates a simple but powerful inclusive aquatic space that offers a glimpse of the larger picture of universal well-being and connectivity. RM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chris Thomas is the director of marketing for Water Odyssey and Fountain People, and has more than a decade of experience promoting the physical, mental, and social benefits of aquatic play. For more information, visit www.waterodyssey.com.