New to Area- Need Ideas

As far as a fun pool, it depends on what part of the valley you live in. Taylorsville Pool, West Valley Family Fitness Center, and Kearns Oquirrh Park Fitness Center all have really fun pools with the gradual incline and the water toys for kids, as well as lap pools, swimming lessons, and water aerobics classes for you.

Liberty Park, near downtown, has a play area that sprays water for kids to enjoy. They also have the Tracey Aviary. There are a lot of other great parks around the valley - Sugarhouse, Holiday, Murray Park, Taylorsville. You can look up Parks & Recreation in the county section of the white pages.
I know that Fairmont Park in sugarhouse has an awesome swimming pool, indoors, with toys in the kids area and a shallow incline. I think there are several other pools around the valley that do too.

Hogle Zoo has an annual family pass. I don't recall the exact prices, but I know it pays for itself in two visits. We used to go for just an hour or two and not feel guilty about "wasting" the money. The pass also gets you discounts at other places. The Clarke Planetarium at the Gateway has lots of free things to do. And the Discovery Children's museum has great things for kids of all ages to play with - very hands on. They have an annual membership, too.

Also, go to your local library and find out when they have reading programs. Most will have things for different age levels, where they read a book and then do an activity based on that age. And they're free.

Liberty Park has a fun playground with a splash pad which is really fun on hot days and it's free. They also have a Canyon's water area and a pool which is only $1 for kids and I think $3 for adults, but it has the gradual decline you're talking about. You can also buy a summer pass that would include access to the Zoo, Tracey aviary, Ogden Dinosaur park and a few other things in it. It's pretty affordable. You might also try the Gateway Mall downtown. They have lots of fun activities down there during the summer. There is a farmers market down town every saturday during the summer at Pioneer Park which is fun too. Enjoy!

South Jordan has a pool like the one you described. It's on Redwood Road in their Recreation Center. I know of a few sprinkler parks in the Riverton/Herriman area. They're both west of Bangerter Highway on 12600 S. Thanksgiving Point has some fun things to see in Lehi. There is a beautiful garden and it has a children's area. I think you have to pay a little bit of money to get in there. It also has a bunch of farm animals and stuff to look at. Good luck!!

Check out the www.utahkidsclub.com website! They have weekly deals and highlight different local businesses.

Discovery Gateway: I've never been here, so maybe someone else has some good ideas about it. Their website is www.discoverygateway.org

The Gateway fountain: if you go to the north end of the Gateway shopping center downtown their is a fun fountain that the children can play in. It was built for the 2002 olympics and is in the shape of a snowflake. Water spurts up from holes in the ground in patterns. All summer kids are there in swimming suits or just a diaper or fully clothed, running around and getting wet. Free.

Clark's Planetarium: also at The Gateway. Your kids might be a little young for the shows maybe, but they can explore and look around at the displays for free. Other things cost money. www.clarkplanetarium.org

Thanksgiving Point: This is in Lehi, off the freeway just as you pass the point of the mountain. They have a petting zoo/farm country for little kids that doesn't cost much. They have amazing gardens which you have to pay to get in, but your kids would be free. You could take a picnic, rent a golf cart, just take your stroller. They also have a dinosaur museum which is pretty good. You can buy annual passes to just the Dinosaur museum, just the farm country, or just the gardens. Or you can buy a combo pass. They have a website at www.thanksgivingpoint.com

Red Butte Gardens: This is up by the University of Utah. They have lovely gardens to walk around, play in, take a picnic. There's a fee to get in or you can buy an annual pass. The annual pass gives you discounts on concert tickets. www.redbuttegarden.org

Hogle Zoo: You could get a year's membership for just you and your husband as children under 3 are free. In addition to the animals they have a little train ride, a carousel, and a playground. www.hoglezoo.org

Tracy Aviary/Liberty Park: Liberty park has a pond where you can rent paddle boats. It also has a little carnival-like play area where you can ride a ferris wheel and other rides. There is an aviary there which costs extra to get in. They do bird shows and other fun things. www.tracyaviary.org

Sugarhouse Park: is on 1300 E 2100 S. It's just a big park with a pond where you can feed ducks and geese. A small stream feeds into the pond and kids often like to wade in it, throw rocks, etc. There are lots of covered pavillions where you can eat, or just spread a blanket under some trees. A couple of different playgrounds are also in the park.

Silver Lake up Big Cottonwood Canyon: If you drive to the very top of Big Cottonwood Canyon there's this great lake that has a boardwalk/trail all the way around it. Good place for picnic, seeing fish, walking in the woods. The boardwalk makes it really easy to take small children. You can see a few wildflowers. I've seen deer and moose there on occasion. http://climb-utah.com/WM/silver.htm

Cottonwood Heights Recreation Center: Indoor and outdoor pools, including splash zone with waterslide, zero entry, etc. They also have ice skating, fitness rooms, raquetball/walleyball courts, tennis, swimming lessons. www.cottonwoodheights.com. I know there are other rec centers in the valley, but this is the one closest to me so I know it the best. I know there's one somewhere in west valley, and another one in Sandy. Maybe someone else can give you info on those.

Public Library story time: The Salt Lake County libraries have free story times once a week, according to age. It's free but you do have to register in advance. My two year old daughter loves these. www.slco.lib.ut.us

Living Planet Aquarium: never been there yet myself, but something to look into. www.thelivingplanet.com

South Towne Center: this shoping mall has a carousel in the food court which is fun for the kiddos when I'm there doing my shopping.

Temple Square: has beautiful gardens and open courtyards, a reflection pool, and fountains. It's just a pleasant place to walk around and get some sunshine. My toddler loves going there and running from flowerbed to flowerbed. She also likes walking across the street to the north of temple square to the Conference Center and looking up at the waterfall that comes down the front of the building. www.visittemplesquare.com

This is the Place State Park: this is across the street from Hogle Zoo. I haven't been here in many years, so I'm not sure what's there to do. www.thisistheplace.org

Gardner Village: this is in South Jordan. They have a great candy store and other fun shops and a restaurant. The fun time to go there is during October when they have it decorated for Halloween. They have big mechanical witches throughout the grounds and little kids get a huge kick out of seeing. Lots of good photo opps and just a fun afternoon walking around. www.gardnervillage.com

Wheeler Farm: has petting zoo, pony rides, wagon rides. Fun for preschool age. www.wheelerfarm.com

That's all I can think of for now!

You've been given loads of great information by other posters. Here are a few more suggestions, and they're free, which helps.

The first Monday of each month is free day at the Utah Museum of Natural History on the U of U campus, and the first Wednesday is free at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, also on campus. They also have a free art program/project at 2 p.m. the third Saturday of every month.

Instead of a zoo family membership, we opted for the Tracy Aviary membership. It costs half as much, and brings with it free admission to the zoo, the natural history museum, or Thankgiving Point Farm the first Thursday of every month.

In addition to the library, most local bookstores offer once-a-week free story times. Simply call and ask for days and times.

I would recommend picking up a book called The Utah Mama's Handbook, available at any local Barnes and Noble. When we first moved here, I found it to be a valuable resource for a newcomer with kids. Welcome to the neighborhood!

We love the South Jordan Rec Center pool, its really fun, foundtains, slides, a llazy river, and the incline you were talking about. The Zoo and aquarium and Gateway's Discovery children museum all have family annual passes you can purchase.

Our favorite park is the Riverton city park, fun playground and lots of shade. There are also several splash pad parks in Riverton and Herriman. Thanksgiving point gardens and farm country are really fun. The Children's garden has a water feature for kids to play at. And Wheeler Farm (which is free) is fun if you like to see animals.

If you need any other ideas, let me know!