We’ve been to loads of water parks over the years. It’s really a parent’s occupational hazard when you have four kids! When we travel a water park it is one of the few attractions we will happily spend money on. We’re pretty selective and have been known to avoid zoos and aquariums overseas. When you’ve seen one, you’ve seen ‘em all!
When it’s hot and your kids are a bit travel weary we’ve found it worthwhile to spring for a trip to a water park. It’s a relaxing day out, everyone gets to cool down and in most countries it won’t break the bank.
To help you have a great time I’ve written some tips and tricks about water parks for you to remember:
· Wear the right clothes. I’m going to cheat and direct you to this article on what to wear to a water park. I’ll add to their list that you should research online and find out what the park’s requirements are. In some countries you are not allowed to wear certain items and there is usually a stipulation that you can’t ride water slides fully clothed. You do have to wear suitable swimwear.
· Arrive early. If you want somewhere to sit on an actual chair you’ll need to arrive early. In high season this means being there when the gates open. Kids who are keen to go to the water park will be up early anyway so you might as well go and line up!
· Protect your valuables. Spend the couple of dollars and get a locker unless someone in your party isn’t going to swim that day and will remain with your bags. We’ve lost an iPod and a cheap copycat GoPro and once even had our towels stolen! Get the locker and ride the slides without worrying if you’ll have no shoes to wear home.
· Have fun. If you’re a worrier try not to nag your children too much! Let them try out that giant slide. Let them go head-first if they want to. There are lifeguards all through water parks – I’d suggest a quick look to see how effectively they are watching before you start your day. You can also do small things to make sure everyone is safe like one of you going down the slide first to ensure you can help smaller children out of the pool. Family rides are fun and even if you are scared you should give them a try. Your kids will remember how brave you were for years to come!
· Let older kids explore on their own. Our kids are older and often want to ride the slides so many times more than we could ever manage! We’ve let them go around the park on their own for years now. Yes parents – the time does come when you can relax and read your book while your kids safely have fun in a water park. Just hang in there if your kids are still small and need you all the time.
As you can tell from my list of waterpark tips and tricks, a fun day out is not hard. Even if you don’t have everything with you it’s possible to arrive at the gate, buy a ticket and get everything you need inside. You can buy swimwear, towels, kids flotation devices, sun cream and even sunglasses at the gift stores inside.
So give it a go. When everyone is cooled off and tired at the end of the day, you’ll be glad you did!
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