Super Soakers
Switched on park operators who maximise the water play experience will ultimately reap the rewards…
Water play is suitable and fun for all ages and all abilities, creates an ideal leisure space the whole family can enjoy together. Pic: WSL.
Come rain or shine, water play provides hours of fun for guests of all ages. From thrilling head-to-toe splashes to gentle sprays and fine mists, aquatic play features go a long way in enhancing the holiday experience.
Through smart design and a good selection of features, any holiday park can create an aquatic play space that guests will enjoy and want to return to on repeat visits.
“A great choice of water play product scan help any destination attract new visitors, and boost overall attendance,” says Richard Harrison, Director of Waterplay Solutions Ltd (WSL).
“Water play is suitable and fun for all ages and all abilities and creates an ideal leisure space the whole family can enjoy together. The naturally inclusive and adaptable nature of a zero-depth splash park makes it an excellent amenity for holiday parks seeking to increase family attendance.”
WSL has been working with Parkdean Holidays since 2015 and is installing an indoor water play area at Trecco Bay Holiday Park in Wales later this year. The bespoke design includes a water slide, tipping buckets, ground sprays and water jets. “There is an increasing demand for interactivity and discovery in aquatic play design,” Richard reveals. “For example, play features that introduce cause and effect functions help children develop intention and discover causal relationships. Features that engage motor skills, sensory stimulation create both a socially and emotionally rewarding play experience for children.”
Waterplay’s innovative new Cirque Collection is a design collaboration with world-renowned public space designer Markus Ehring and invites kids to push, spin, plug, and take aim with a whimsical group of features designed for user interaction. Kids can push down on the Boingo to make water shoot higher from the nearest ground spray, or spin the magic handle on the Ringmaster to activate surrounding features.
COLLABORATIVE APPROACH
Richard adds: “We recommend that parks opt for products that are designed with a Detach and Exchange (DEX) System. This offers the flexibility of phasing your park installation, if subject to budget restraints, and changing your features over time. “For example, a DEX geyser ground spray in low, medium, or high flow can be installed initially, and then be replaced with an above ground feature later when money allows.”
Waterplay Solutions offer a flush-to-grade DEX anchoring system that eliminates the need for toe guards and combines clean design aesthetic with functionality and streamlined installation. Their extensive range of products are available in vibrant colour palettes and carry a 25-year warranty. Their industry-leading materials are non-toxic, durable and vandal resistant, and are carefully selected to ensure a safe play experience that stands the test of time.
In terms of cost, Richard advises that supply only prices can vary from a few hundred pounds for ground sprays up to several thousand for a slide activity centre: “A small water play area, when connected to an existing water management system can be achieved for around £50,000.
“A full turnkey solution for an aquatic play pad of 252m² with an array of Waterplay’s products, a wetpour safety surface and a brand new recirculation system can be achieved for £180,000,” he continues. “The sky really is the limit in determining exactly how much you would like to spend and how adventurous you would like your water play area to be.”
TIDAL WAVES
Ustigate Waterplay offers a vast range of over 300 aquatic structures designed to meet almost any specification.
Ernie Hemming of Ustigate Waterplay advises: “Ensure you have explored all possible options as water installations can be expensive and time consuming. “Even though initial setup costs for a high quality and robust water system may be excessive this will be cost effective in the long run as the water system will be able to stand the test of time and demands of excited children.” Ustigate is a partner of Vortex International of Canada, offering a product index of over 300 aquatic structures specifically designed to meet almost any specification, from low water consuming products for once use systems to super soaking buckets which create tidal waves.
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