Waterpark Essentials for the Whole Family
Waterparks are wonderful locations for summer fun. These especially come in handy when a trip to the nearest body of water is out of the question, but the relentless summer sun is getting to be unbearable. Waterparks are full of hours of entertainment. Nevertheless, there are some essential things to remember when you go so that your waterpark experience is a good one. Here are some waterpark essentials your family needs to make your waterpark day fantastic.
Bathing Suits
These are quite essential aspects of a good waterpark experience. If you don't have a bathing suit, it's a bit difficult to play in the water. Making sure your family has all of its swimwear needs covered is critical, and waterparks call for a slightly different kind of swimwear. Remember, waterparks have wave pools and slides and generally lend themselves to high-energy activities, which may be easier to engage in if your daughter is in one-piece bathing suits that are unlikely to fall off and your son's boys' swim trunks have good elastic and double-knotted waist ties. If you know the sides of the pools can be slippery, some water shoes with good traction may be a good call to help your family stay upright and safe as everyone makes his or her way around the wet waterpark environment. These are all little things to remember that can take some of the potential problems out of what should be a fun waterpark day and take a few of the worries off your plate so you can have your own fun, too.
Sun Protection
Unless you live close to this waterpark or have a summer pass for multiple days, you're probably not going to hang out for an hour and then leave. A waterpark is generally a multiple-hour affair, and it is very possible for most of us to get a pretty severe sunburn after spending that kind of time in the sun. Sunscreen is usually a good answer to this kind of problem. However, many of us are distracted by all of the slides, water playgrounds, and lazy rivers, and we forget about the reapplication part. If you can see this happening to your family, you may want to consider sun-protective swimwear. Rash guards, for example, can cover quite a bit of skin and keep shoulders, arms, and torsos safe from some of those bad burns that can sour a delightful waterpark experience. Extra steps you take can make a difference in the last memories you have of your waterpark day as well as the kind of ride home you have. It could be very worth the effort.
A Homebase
Waterparks have a lot going on. They are wild and fun, and different attractions can pull you off in different directions. Before you and your family lose yourself in all of the water entertainment, find a good place to set up your home base. Choose a place that is relatively central, so it's about the same distance away from all of the different areas of the park and near something very conspicuous, like a tall tower, a giant sign, or a popular slide ride. This way, all the different places your family can run off to aren't going to take anyone too far from your home base, and if anyone gets lost, finding the way back is as easy as asking a park worker where that slide ride is or looking up to find the top of the tower then heading toward it. You can relax knowing everyone can find each other again, even if a twisty slide turns someone around for a moment.
A Buddy
If you have a large group at the waterpark, perhaps there are cousins in town, or someone's in-laws are joining, it may be hard for you to keep track of everyone. The solution? Recruit some help via the buddy system. This way, everyone keeps track of each other, and you have less to do. Each child gets a buddy, and each pair has to check in every so often with a particular adult. That way, making sure everyone stays found becomes a little easier. At least, it's not all on one person — you. Then, you're free to enjoy your own time at the waterpark instead of worrying (too much) about everyone else.
Some of these essentials are things you can bring with you, and some are plans you can make, but as long as you have all of these elements, your day at the waterpark can be focused on the fun and on the good memories you're making instead of other less desirable aspects which could potentially crop up. Be aware, get prepared, bring along your "essentials," and have a fantastic time at the waterpark this summer!