Water Parks: Wild Waves of Family Fun

Parent Tips for Water Park Survival

Water parks can be tough places to keep track of kids. I’ve had a child slip under an inner tube on a crowded lazy river (luckily I was close enough to reach in and grab him), negotiated with two kids who wanted to go in opposite directions, lost sight of kids in a wave pool and generally worried throughout the day when I was the lone adult supervising more than one child.

Here are my recommendations to ensure a fun, safe and sane day at the water park for all:

• Make sure to keep your eyes out for the animal inhabitants of Aquatica, which include dolphins, fish, exotic birds and this tortoise.
• Courtesy of Aquatica

1. Aim for a 1:1, kid-to-adult ratio. In my family, the key to a fun day for all—mom included—is a one-to-one kid-to-adult ratio. If that’s not possible, then I try to take groups of kids who are about the same age and like to do the same things.
2. Review the park’s Web site before your visit. Do the slides have height restrictions? Are there slides that will accommodate a family riding together, or does everyone have to ride separately or two-by-two?
3. Check out the park map. Is the kiddie area centrally located so you can manage children who want to do other things while still watching the little one? Since kids need to be watched closely around the water (yes, the parks have lifeguards, but on a busy day, how is that teenager supposed to know whether my child slipped under the water?), I want to be able to stay close. That isn’t possible if there’s a 4-year-old who has to stay in the kiddie area and an 8-year-old who is tall enough to tackle the big slides.
4. Make sure the park appeals to the ages of your kids. I have found that my older son managed to have a good time at water parks aimed at younger kids, but the opposite did not hold true for his little sister. If we headed to a park better suited for older kids, she was miserable because she was too young or too short for many of the rides, and I spent the day trying to explain why she couldn’t ride the slide with her brother.

New Water Parks in 2008

The biggest new water park opening this year is Aquatica at SeaWorld in Orlando. The park combines the traditional water slides of a water park with the animal experience of Sea World. One slide includes a tube that sends riders through the dolphin tank, while the lazy river passes bird-filled jungle areas, waterfalls and a grotto filled with tropical fish.

• Kids will love monkeying around at Kima Bay, a new water attraction at Holiday World.
• Courtesy of Holiday World

At Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari in Santa Claus, Ind., a new $6 million monkey-themed water attraction called Kima Bay includes seven slides and more than 100 ways to splash, spray and play in the water.

Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville, Ky., has the Mega Wedgie, a raft ride that sends riders down a steep 100-foot tunnel into a funnel-shaped bowl, down a chute and into a pool.