Add spray to your play: how to plan aquatic playgrounds that kids will love.

Kids of all ages have always taken to backyard sprinklers, neighborhood fire hydrants and city fountains to cool off. But nothing brings a smile to a child's face like an exciting world of unpredictable sprayers, oversized water cannons and larger-than-life creatures. Dripping with imaginative fun, spray parks are now sprouting up in countless communities.

Larry Duxbury, chief engineer of the dinosaur spray park in Drumheller, Alberta, Canada, wasn't sold on spray parks until he saw the reaction of the kids. "I guess I liked the idea [of the spray park] in the beginning, but I wasn't totally sold on it ... until I saw it in use."

Spray parks are often referred to as aquatic playgrounds, splash pads, water playgrounds, water play areas, or spraygrounds, among others. They are designed to be safe and unique play areas where water is sprayed from structures or ground sprays and then drained away before it can accumulate. Planning a spray park usually involves searching through an endless supply of catalogues, picking water toys that look like fun and then placing them in a space that resembles the perfect play environment; one that stimulates the physical, psychological and social needs of children.

Despite the fact that all of us have been children, as grown-ups it is often dif6cult to see the world through the eyes of a child. Children have that magical way of transforming what may be seen to an adult as unexciting and dull into something new and fascinating. Unfortunately, all too often the end users of spray parks rarely have an opportunity to participate in the planning of their park and the design of a space that fits with how they view the world. Perhaps it's time to consider using children as a resource and create water worlds they can call their own.

Why Build A Spray Park?

Spray parks fit with any public play space, whether it's in an open park environment or the perfect companion to a pool. As stand-alone aquatic facilities, spray parks offer an exciting and cost-effective alternative to pools. Some communities just don't have the budget for a pool that requires fulltime staff and costly maintenance expenditures. Because spray parks operate through the use of computerized control systems, the operating season is extended and the need tot lifeguards is eliminated.

Spray parks brighten up neighborhoods and turn open spaces into three-dimensional worlds of water. Unlike a pool, they create an environment that children of all ages and abilities will enter with equal enthusiasm. The tiniest toddler can play with the gentle ground sprays while the older kids commandeer the cannons in an effort to spray their friends and family. With spray loops that are high and wide and activators that are low enough for all, children who use wheelchairs easily access spray parks. For children who are unable to see, the sense of touch is both cool and exciting. Children who cannot hear love the bright colors, the extra thick and tall components and the soft mist upon their face. Everyone loves the cool spray on a hot day.

Excellent Pool Companions

While some kids feel uncomfortable in an enormous pool of water, hardly anyone fears an animated spray park. It's a comfortable and casual environment in which kids can build their confidence about being in water without the fears associated with swimming. Spray parks provide the perfect transition to learning to swim. The basic steps to swimming (floats and glides) are much easier to do when you are relaxed. In spray parks, kids will stand and stare right up at water toys, drenching the big smile plastered across their face. This self-confidence can make learning to swim a whole lot easier.

Spray parks also add an interactive family play element. The Robin Hood spray park in Skegness, England, was incorporated as part of a larger aquatic facility and was designed to provide aquatic play for the entire family. Mike Arens, project manager for the Harrison Township Spray Zone park in Michigan says at his park he's always pleased to see "families out together and having fun in the park ... that's what we're all about!"

A Child's Perspective

Ultimately it is the children who will be using these spray parks. Park planners need to incorporate children's opinion into the design and think "children" in every decision made. Take off the engineering cap and plan the park from a child's point of view. A park that is great for children will be great for all others, too.

An essential element of learning is the opportunity to affect the play environment. Children want to be able to spray their friends as well as be sprayed themselves. The simple act of filling a balloon full of water and throwing it at a friend provides endless fun for kids. If a simple balloon produces such joy, imagine the never-ending laughter an oversized water cannon can bring. Interactive toys benefit the social and physical development of all children.

Children also want toys with sprays capable of soaking more than one child at a time. While it's loads of fun to get dripping wet, it's way more fun to enjoy the spray with your friends. Upright components are necessary in all parks as they allow children to play together.

Waterfalls have always been natural wonders of the world. Children love the idea of walking and looking through sheets of water. Being able to magically disappear behind a wall of water excites children of all ages. Mazes made from ground sprays offer magical fun as they allow children to disappear when they shoot up, and then magically appear when the sprays stop.

While they tend to not look as attractive as the uprights when the water is turned off; ground sprays offer marvelous play value at an inexpensive cost. Kids love altering the display of ground sprays by either sitting or standing on them. When planning a spray park, be extra generous with the number of ground spray's and select a variety of spray effects.

When it comes to children's toys, the whole world typically promotes the use of primary colors red, blue, yellow and green. Spray park equipment is no different. When incorporating a theme into your spray park, keep it simple. Graphics are okay as long as they don't get too complicated. An image that speaks wonders to an adult may not mean much to a 7-year-old child.

While the shape of one component may look different from another, the spray display could in that be exactly the same. Be sure to check the spray effects of every water toy you select. Most manufacturers otter a variety of spray effects including dumping water, misty sprays, showers, geysers, jets, foam sprays, gushers, sprinklers, streams of water, or bubbles. When planning your park it's best to mix it up and select an assortment of toys that include differing spray effects.

Children like to interact with both the toys and the sprays. This includes being able to activate and control the water flow. The computerized operating system lets kids turn on the system whenever they want. Children love the element of surprise the controllers present and taking on the challenge of guessing which component will come on next. When the play is done for the day, the operating system automatically shuts off ensuring no water is wasted. As spray parks are a fairly new idea, signage should make it clear as to how the water is activated.

Children have incredible imaginations and will spend hours and hours creating their own play environments. "Water play areas should be designed so that they are open and not structured to allow children to move freely and safely. It is important to encourage cooperative, whimsical play and provide a space that enhances lively social interaction.

Children that play in spray parks typically range in age from 2 to 12 years. Separate play areas should be created where the robust play of older children will not interfere with the passive play of younger children. Older children tend to enjoy cannons and squirt faces while younger children prefer the pass through elements and the ground sprays.

Things to Consider

The overall park budget will determine the type of equipment selected and the water source to be used. There are two types of water sources available for spray parks; direct supply potable water or re-circulating treated water system. How do you choose an appropriate water source? There are a number of elements that will affect the amount of water you use, but most importantly you want to design a park that makes efficient water consumption a main priority.

You want to be able to control the amount of water your park uses in both potable and re-circulating systems. It is also important to choose the water source best suited for your environment to eliminate maintenance headaches years down the road.

To beat the heat of the summer, the New York City Housing Authority installs several small spray parks throughout the city. While each park might have a few ground sprays and an upright component, a potable water system fits in with their budget and maintenance program.

To erasure the spray park process is a smooth one, be sure to check with local regulatory agencies before beginning any construction. A meeting with your local health department will help to identify critical health codes that are clearly understood by all parties and will be met easily. An engineer can provide advice on site requirements and your designer is able to create the spray park blueprint. Installation of components will require a certified electrician and plumber.

And most importantly, don't forget to ask the local children what they would like to see in their park. Then, turn on the water to start the fun!

Cory Forrest, B. Comm; and Matthew M. Fraleigh, A.Arts, B.Comm; are spray park consultants with Waterplay[R] Manufacturing Inc. This article was created from an education session presented at NRPA's Annual Congress.