As your children grow, their interests change and mature. While once you could set up a small splash pool in the backyard and enjoy a summer of fun, or invite friends over for a day of running in the sprinkler, your children need more to keep them occupied.
Eventually, you do not have enough space to contain their energy and enthusiasm, and the friends they need to keep them occupied.
This is why water parks are so popular.
What pre-teens need
Pre-teens are learning to explore their surroundings and push boundaries, just like children of all ages.
What’s different is that now, because of their increased size and greater understanding of the world, it is harder for you to manage those boundaries by yourself.
When your child was younger you could baby-proof your cabinets and outlets, close the doors in certain areas of the house, and keep a close eye on them. You would be certain that they were safe in the container you created, and stimulated by the toys, books, games, and activities you provided.
But now they can open these doors. And the games and activities you provide don’t capture their attention as long as they used to.
They need to spend periods of time away from your watchful gaze. They need to push their bodies to bigger and harder boundaries. They need to run long distances, and climb, and challenge their friends.
They need to sit in the shade away from adults and talk about the world as they understand it.
What water parks offer
Their expanding boundaries, and your need to create a safe experience for them, are why water parks are perfect places to take your pre-teens and teens.
A water park is far larger than your backyard or even your neighborhood in many cases. Your child and their friends can explore the area and remain out of your eye sight for a long period of time, giving them a sense of independence and control that they can’t get at home.
Plus, by playing in the water, and climbing on or around obstacles in the water park, they get to push their body to new limits and challenge the world around them.
They are watched over by paid and trained staff who are constantly on the lookout for signs of danger, so you know that they will be safe. Plus, a waterpark has some rules put in place to ensure everyone’s safety.
Better yet, when it comes time to enforce the rules, you aren’t always the one playing the role of the enforcer. This helps your child understand that rules don’t come from their parents. Instead, rules are necessary for the smooth functioning of everyday life.
Additionally, a water park offers something the neighborhood can’t: dozens of potential new friends. Here, your pre-teens or teens can interact with many new people, explore relationships through water games and contests, and build a better foundation on which to explore the world when they – later on – learn to drive a car and navigate the world even more independently.
So taking your child to Aqua Adventures Waterpark, or another water park near you, will provide them age-appropriate fun and structure, and make planning the day a LOT easier for you!