Photo Credit: Joey Cullen
These structures have many different names—spray grounds, spray parks, sprinkler pads, water parks, splash pads, or any mix of the above. No matter the name, spray grounds have continued to gain popularity over the last decade. While spray grounds are most commonly found in public park and recreation agencies, the private sector has begun building spray grounds, which are usually found in campgrounds, YMCAs, commercial water parks, hotels and resorts, and community subdivisions.
Benefits For All
The community benefits of a spray ground are varied. The lower maintenance costs allow park and recreation agencies the opportunity to build and maintain a spray ground for much less than the cost of a community pool. With low maintenance costs come low admittance costs. For agencies that charge, for example, in Illinois, the average cost of admission is $3 per person for residents, and $4 per person for non-residents, with some communities allowing free admission to pool pass holders. Considering the target age group for spray grounds is children under 10, with an abundance of users being toddlers and preschool-aged children, this is a real benefit because there are fewer users competing for the same space at the community pool.
Among the benefits of building a public spray ground are safety and interactive play. Spray grounds are commonly found as stand-alone amenities in a community park with no standing water, which eliminates the need for lifeguards. The ability for children to manipulate the rate of water flow and the direction of water with some features offers an interactive environment, which builds social skills and strengthens imagination as children work together to complete either a designed task or manipulate the water to complete a made-up task.