Splash pad success

On my list of fun summer activities to try this summer was at least one visit to a nearby splash pad. I didn't even know these things existed until last year, when I drove by one near a friend's house. They're increasingly popular, particularly in newer communities, presumably because they don't require lifeguards and because they use timers for the water, so it uses less than filling and emptying a pool (and requires no chlorine or other chemicals). The forecast was in the high 20s-low 30s for Monday, Tuesday and today, so the time was right to see if D would enjoy herself!

When we went on Monday, it was just the two of us. The splash pad is about a ten-minute drive from our house, and it was mostly empty when we arrived. I wasn't too sure how D would like it, seeing as she doesn't enjoy being sprayed by the garden hose when she washes the cars with Daddy. As it turns out, if she has a modicum of control over the splashing, she's fine with it. Because there were a few kids around, I got to see how long the water cycle stays on, and how to turn it back on when it stops. I didn't bring any water/sand toys, unfortunately, but I accompanied her through the various fountains so that she wouldn't be scared, and after that, she was great on her own. She just flitted from one fountain to the next, happy as anything! With her kiddy pool at home, she can play contentedly for all of 10-15 minutes; we stayed at the splash pad for over an hour.

On Tuesday, I went with both D and my young charge E, who had also visited a splash pad for the first time recently. It took us over an hour to get ready- sunscreen, hats, bathing suits, shoes, water bottles for everyone. I actually remembered sunscreen, snacks, a camp chair, toys, and tissues (the girls both had runny noses). The only thing I hadn't remembered was to ask Hubby to switch over the spare car seat to my car that morning. My wonderful mom saved the day by bringing her extra one, and we made it to the splash pad in time to meet my friend Sarah and her 3 kids. It was so good to have another mom to sit and chat with while our kids played.

We went again today, and remarkably, even though the weather was cooler (21 degrees or so), the splash pad and accompanying playground were more packed than on the previous days put together! The City was running a craft activity, so that may have accounted for the higher numbers. I was a little nervous of many of the older kids, who don't tend to notice toddlers. One bigger girl in particular vexed me by shooting water at a bunch of little kids when all the big kids had run away; she lost interest fairly quickly, though. There was also a little boy who had a habit of grabbing toys out of other children's hands (including D's, the moment she walked onto the splash pad), and tried to steal some of our snack. I gently chastised him for the latter, as I happened to be the one holding the snack. We suffered the sad loss of one of our beach toys, a red train; most people are fairly relaxed about sharing toys at the park, but it's too easy to lose things when there's a bigger space with more kids running around, so I didn't let the girls play with other kids' toys. All in all, I much preferred the less busy days, but it's still a fun way to spend the morning. And it doesn't hurt that naptimes go better after copious outdoor play!