Packing for a water park outing
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TIPS:
- Check the park’s policies about food, beverage and dress before leaving your house.
- Check the weather before going, and the park's policy for weather closures.
- Get to the water park a few minutes before they open – then be ready to run to get a pool chair.
- Come to the park dressed in swimsuits – this will save time & frustration.
- Read the list of rides ahead of time – go to the web site of the water park – figure out which rides you want to go on, how old/tall you have to be for each ride.
- After you find your seats, take a walk around the water park as a family/group – make sure kids know how to find your chair/stuff, in case they get lost.
- Set limits and rules (come back every hour, don’t go outside this area, check in after every ride).
- Don’t forget to apply plenty of sun block, frequently.
- Drink plenty of water. Everyone should start the day out (before you leave home) well hydrated, and then drink water every 30-60 minutes while at the water park.
- Most water parks have pool chairs that you can leave your stuff on. Leave towels, clothes, water, sun block on the pool chair. They will probably be safe. But don’t leave anything valuable there. Leave valuables at home, or in a locker. Or even better, keep valuables to a minimum (1 car key, cash, cell phone) and put in a waterproof container on a string (small box size), and wear around your neck. If you don’t have one of these, you can put these items in a zip loc bag, and then another zip loc bag (several layers) and put inside of your swimming suit while on rides.
BRING WITH YOU:
- Membership card, season pass, entrance pass, discount coupons for this venue
- A map to the park, directions on how to get there.
- Backpack – if you don’t have a pool chair to leave your stuff at, you will need a bag to carry it around in
- Basic first aid kit, a few band-aids
- Book – for down time if your kids are on a water slide or in the pool
- Camera – take a picture of each child when you arrive – so that if they get lost, you remember what they are wearing, and can show a picture of them
- Camera – water proof
- Car key – just bring in 1 key, leave the rest at home or in the car.
- Cash
- Cell phone – wrap up in several zip loc bags to keep dry
- Chair or blanket - call the park ahead of time - do they have pool chairs? If not, you may want to bring a camp chair, big blanket, or extra towels to sit on
- Coins for lockers
- Cooler – if the park allows, bring a cooler
- Dry clothes – to change into for the ride home, or if you are going on dry rides after the water park
- Goggles – if kids are afraid of getting water in their eyes
- Items for baby or younger kids – stroller, diapers, wipes, change of clothes, bottle, special food, toy
- Jewelry – NONE – leave it at home
- Life jacket, PFD, or arm floats – for younger children or anyone who can’t swim – IF the park allows
- Name written in permanent marker, on tag of each child’s swim suit (safety reasons, if the child gets lost)
- Over-the-counter medications that you might need (headache, allergy)
- Permanent marker – label items in case they got lost later
- Plastic bag or grocery bags - for wet clothes
- Prescription medications
- Shampoo – if you take a shower afterwards in the lockeroom
- Shoes that can get wet – or even better, shoes that you can wear on rides – Crocs, pool shoes, river shoes, lake shoes, water shoes. Flip flops are okay for walking around, but not okay on the rides. River shoes are best – they have rubber sole, with elastic tops, so they stay on. These are great because you walk and stand in line a lot – the shoes will protect your feet from hot & rough cement, and chlorine.
- Shorts – to wear over swim suit on rides, if you want
- Snacks
- Sun hat
- Sunglass strap
- Sunglass straps – Croakies – to keep your sunglasses safe, so they don’t fly off on rides
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen – lots of it
- Swim suit – arrive with your suit on, it will be easier – locker rooms get very busy
- Swim suit cover-up – something to wear over your suit
- Swim suits – you may want to throw in an extra, just in case. Make sure swim suits are modest enough to meet park requirements (check park web site before going). Remember that you are going on rides, and you may want a swim suit that isn’t easily pulled off (from riding the rides, strong water current, …)
- Tissues
- Towels
- Valuables – NONE – leave them at home
- Water bottle, with water – put a few in the freezer the night before, so that they stay cold
- Wet wipes
- Zip loc bag or waterproof container – have 1 small container that you can keep with us at all times – with your car key, cash, cell phone
- Zip loc bags – to put electronics (phone, camera) in if going on a wet ride
- Friends & family!
- Picnic lunch to keep in the car or bring into the park (if they allow) - cooler, ice, lunch, beverages, picnic blanket