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sPN AUG 2010 WaterFun


www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk


Toys are us!


Inflatable pool slides, multi-level play structures, colourful water toys, tipping buckets and pool play equipment can all hold the imagination and captivation of an enthusiastic child in a pool. In turn that influence on parents to keep returning to the water and to the fun is a powerful one. Larger pools now faced with the loss of free swimming must now look at ways of increasing attendance and membership numbers. The pool industry needs to renew its kids appeal


I


t seems a simple formula – make sure kids have as much fun and excitement in a pool as is possible and that will guarantee them coming back – time and time again. For


children, being in the water can be great fun and an ideal place to play and cavort. Water is after all a great natural playground. So the appeal of water slides, wave machines,


mushroom showers, play structures, tipping buckets, pipe falls, spray rails, throw in floats, water guns and water flumes is enormous and simple pool toys to more complex structures gives the chance to provide great entertainment in the water. There’s a great temptation now for pool


managers and owners to invest in new attractions. Budgets may be tight but there is a


real need now to hype up and market swimming pools as places of fun and not just of exercise. With pools all over the UK facing the loss of


government money from free swimming for children then there’s a greater need to find something which will bring in the families. The presence of even the simplest of water


features will hold the imagination and captivation of an enthusiastic child. Water toys spell popularity, which in turn spell


attendance, which spell financial benefits. There’s a real challenge from water toy


manufacturers to keep the themes as up to date and ‘cool’ as possible. So now some of the themes and games seen in TV’s Wipe Out and Total Wipe Out are finding their way into pools. The pool industry is working hard on its water


fun strategy! Now it’s a case of ‘interactive water features’ as children now need more exciting, challenging play like firing squirting cannons, flying through flumes with 360 degree turns, racing against timers, taking on rapid rides and climbing through multilevel play structures. Just as important, the younger children are


Hippo Leisure’s Interactive pirate ship complex – a real revenue earner


being encouraged to respond to sensory stimulation as we learn more and more of the benefits of this type of play. Bright colours, tactile materials, interactive functions all facilitate an increase in water confidence and enjoyment.


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