It is easy to be overwhelmed in the design option variety offered by Aquatix® by Landscape Structures. The best practice is to design your splash pad for play value and variability. Start by answering the following questions:
- Who will use the splash pad?
- What types of spray features should you include?
- Where is your water playground located?
- When will the spray park be used?
Create areas that are appropriate for specific age groups. Typically, younger children enjoy a gentler water experience than older kids, while older kids prefer highly interactive features with high volumes of water. It’s also important to choose equipment at various heights so children of all abilities can reach the spray elements and engage with their friends. Consider overlapping play zones for different ages and abilities to provide opportunity for children to participate and play together rather than just alongside each other. All these factors help create a fully inclusive aqua play environment to welcome all children and families.
Splash pads are highly interactive facilities. Simple ground sprayers can add plenty of interactivity that meets a variety of sensory inputs. Water play structures like the HydraHub1 combine traditional playground structures, and all their fun with water elements. Dynamic play components provide endless aqua play excitement with splashing and dumping that provides a big play load of water plus an element of suspense. Interactive play products like the JetStream or HydroHelix encourage kids to experience water in novel ways through game-based events and innovative cause-and effect activities. Users of all ages can experience a variety of water flows, sprays or mists to run through with water elements like the RippleRun.
Splash pads are fun play environments. However, designers can maximize the play experience through color, spray patterns and interactive elements. Through thoughtful design, a fun and colorful splash pad can tell a story and guide users through the play environment. Spray parks can incorporate the history and culture of the surrounding neighborhood with themes. And even better, those themes may encourage imaginative play among kids as they interact with the splash play products.
Special effects and lights can be added to components to create accents that transform the splash pad space into a visual experience at night. Some parks have set their splash pads to become water and light shows during evening hours to maintain interest in the space.
Learn more about designing a fun and safe water playground for everyone.
