Take Me Out to the Water Park

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

15 Jun 2006 05:30 AM

A favored activity between my husband and my daughter is to go the water park. The hotter the summer, the more glorious the time spent in the water at the water park. From the wave pool to the giant slides to floating down the lazy river - a water park can make a day in the Texas heat tolerable.

Drought Conditions

When we were growing up, slip and slides were all the rage and so was dashing through the water sprinklers. Being wet in the sun and the heat does a lot for cooling you down. Currently, we are in drought conditions here and that means we can't run our sprinklers but once a week. Our swimming pools are open, but the water fountain play areas are shut down and it won't be long before those drought conditions begin to affect the water parks.

Since our kids can't run and dance in the sprinklers, we've been taking them to Hawaiian Falls - a great water park just inside of Garland and it's packed with great activities for young and old alike. During the week is the best time, because weekends have it filled to the gills. If you are heading to a water park with young children, it's better to pick times when it is not so overflowing with people.

What to Remember

When you are at a water park, remember to renew the sunscreen every 60 to 90 minutes or so. Even the most water proof of sunscreens washes off in constant exposure to water. Little ones aren't going to be keeping track, so you have to. It's also worth investing in a good lifejacket that fits your child well. Many water parks rent life jackets but the fit is not always certain, getting your own not only saves you rental fees but guarantees that your child is in a secure life jacket.

For the very young children, avoid the large slides and keep them confined to the areas where the water is not going to go over their heads or they are not falling from extremely long heights. There are plenty of slides available for the little ones to play on and at Hawaiian falls, our daughter loves riding on the inner tubes down the lazy river.

Take Shade & Water Breaks

While they are in the water, it's easy to forget just how much sun they are getting. Encourage frequent water and shade breaks. Avoid drinking lots of super sweet soda and stick to bottled water or fruit juices. Encourage healthy snacks and no heavy, greasy foods. Our daughter is prone to getting sun sick - excessive sunlight combined with heat wears her out. We take fifteen to twenty minute breaks every hour or so to let her rest, hydrate and relax.

For kids under 5, it's a good rule of thumb to keep water park visits to under 4 hours. They'll be pretty whipped by then anyway and ready to go home and nap in the coolness of the air-conditioned house. Either way, a few hours at the water park is a great way to enjoy fun with the kids. Check out coupon offers in the area so that you can trim back on how much it costs to get in - because even at Hawaiian Falls, a child's ticket is close to $15 and two adults and two children can get pretty pricey.

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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