We will be going on a family trip to a large water park with my 4 year old daughter and six month old son. My parents are coming along too. Any special suggestions or advice?
The one thing I wish I had was a pair of water shoes (I don't know what they're called, but you can wear them in the water).
We did a ton of walking at a huge water park with lots of hills...my feet were soooo sore at the end of the day.
Bring a blanket, towels and lunch and drinks in a cooler if allowed.
We hardly spent any time sitting, just a quick lunch break. We had to wait in lines and didn't want to waste the day sitting around.
Bring the following....
water shoes
sun tan lotion
towels
water bottles
a snack (if the park allows it)
For the baby...
swim diapers
a hat
the stroller or rent one at the park
Water shoes!! A lot of places don't have sprayers for the walk ways and they can get very hot and also just your feet being wet like that make it easier for them to get cut up on the rough texture of the pool and lazy river.
More sun screen than you think you'll need.
S.
If you can I would bring an umbrella to provide shade for your family. You don't know if you will find a place to get out of the sun. I would bring hats and sunglasses for the kids to wear and lots of sunscreen for everyone.--use special sunscreen for your baby! i would bring lots of water. You can take water bottles- pour a little out (to allow for expansion) and then freeze them and they can help to keep your other drinks cold. Have fun !
Lots of sunscreen, water, change of clothes for everyone, PLENTY of towels (one each is NOT enough), hats and sunglasses and yes, definitely water shoes. We were at a water park a few weeks ago and DD SHREDDED her feet in the wavepool. Even my 14 year old nephew had cuts on his feet from the "grip" surface on the bottom of the pool and maybe one or two cracked tiles with sharp edges...
I would say the most important thing I would want to bring was somewhere the baby could lay out flat to take a nap. He will be much easier to manage if he get's enough rest. Then sunscreen and sunglasses, a hat is a good thing too.
My recommendation: check with your waterpark and see if they have individual cabanas or spots that you can rent for the day. When we go as a family group: Husband and I, two kids, in laws, and anyone else we invite we rent one. It is semi private, has a designated meeting area, with designated chairs/lounges. Usually a table. That way you can bring a cooler, you have a place to take everything and you won't have to fight the other patrons for the chairs and space. It is almost always shaded and at our water park we often have amenities like unlimited drinks throughout the day. I wouldn't have used it before I have kids but now I spend the extra money and get it. It is the best decision we make.
My one big tip: make sure the baby has sunglasses too. The sunlight reflects off the water more than you might think and it can damage his vision.
