9 Important Steps to Ensure Your Splash Pad is a Success!

STEP 1: Discovery + Site Planning

Start with the end in mind. We know, it’s a bit cliché, but only because it’s such good advice.

A great space is one that has a clear vision and involves the right people to make it happen, right from the start. That’s what we want to achieve in step 1, discovery and site planning.

Answer the questions:

• Why a splash pad? What brought you to this decision?
• What do you envision after opening day? How will this impact your community or business?
• What are some of the unique things about this project? About your community?
• Who will visit this space? Ages? Abilities? Families and caretakers? Community groups?
• How many people do you expect to visit the play space daily? How many months per year will the space be open?
• What do you want people to experience here?
• What are some goals that you have beyond people and play? Consider sustainability goals, inclusivity, etc.
• Who are my stakeholders? What will make this project a success for them?

Knowing and clearly identifying your motivations and the needs of the kids and families that will be playing in the splash pad will help you create a list of important goals that you’re not willing to negotiate on and select the right play elements and supporting amenities. It also helps you create a solid plan that reduces unexpected discoveries or outcomes that may take you off the path to success or incur additional costs to the project you didn’t anticipate.

In this stage it’s also time to consider the partners you need to help you get to the end. Is theming important? Consider partnering with a creative manufacturer that has themed products that match your vision, experience in customization, and graphic design support. Will you have a lot of families visiting your space and staying for the day? Consider amenities that will keep them staying longer and coming back again, e.g., places to sit, toilets, changerooms and showers. Is building an inclusive space important to you? Ensure you select products that meet the needs of a diverse set of abilities and age ranges and work with a designer to ensure your space meets the level of accessibility and inclusion you need.

At this stage it’s also important to consider project management and funding, how will you get to the end, and how do you plan to pay for it? The good news is that there’s many options to explore for both:

Project management: While some municipalities and private businesses have project managers on staff, others choose to work with external aquatic engineering consultants who can help manage the scheduling, pre-planning, resource forecasting, project communications, and more.

Funding:  Consider grants, fundraising, community builds, purchasing contracts, financing and phased installations* to support your funding goals.

*Phased installation allows you to break up your splash pad project into manageable phases that see additional splash equipment added to your space over time.

At Waterplay we’ve supported our partners through all of it. Contact our team for guidance on funding your project, as well as building onto your site as your budget and community needs grow. We’re happy to help.

STEP 2: Site Evaluation + Water Management

Ok, you've done all the groundwork for your project. What's next?

Here’s where we start to test the plan. Take the goals you came up with in step one and deep dive into the site and surrounding infrastructure.

Some things you’ll need to consider:

• What is the space for the actual splash pad?
• Is the splash pad part of a larger project with multiple amenities or phases?
• Do you need to accommodate pathways or either existing or planned infrastructure?
• If your space is seasonal, what can you do in the offseason to make the space useable?
• Where is the water supply coming from for the splash pad?
• What water consumption rates should I expect?
• What type of water management system will help me achieve my goals: water treatment, flow-through, retain and repurpose?

Money Saving Tip: It’s here that you (literally) lay down the ground rules for your splash pad project, like the exact size of your splash pad. Make sure to include a splash zone at the edge of the concrete pad so the water doesn’t spray onto and potentially damage the surrounding landscape. A mistake that could require costly repairs. Also, don’t oversize your splash pad. Inactive concrete space is costly and eats into the budget for play features and amenities, it also reduces the play value of the entire space and unnecessarily increases the cost of materials for both concrete and below-grade piping.

Contact Waterplay to speak with our technical teams and learn about our exciting water management solutions designed for splash pads.

STEP 3: Stakeholder Input

You’ve got the plan, you’ve done a comprehensive site evaluation and are happy with the results, now it’s time to get stakeholder input and do a final sign off on the project vision and goals.

It’s here you’ll want to identify if you missed anything that will make the project a success in the eyes of the people using the space, or, if there’s anything you’ve added that’s not actually needed to satisfy the needs of the people that will be using the space. In this stage we’ve seen customers add a MASSIVE splash bucket because it was the one thing the community screamed for, or even adjust the layout to add more accessible experiences for nearby daycares that were hoping to use the space regularly.

Why now? Why wouldn’t we do this sooner? Good question. In our experience it’s easier to get feedback when you bring a clear vision to stakeholders so they have something to provide feedback on. If you ask for feedback too early you might get feedback so wildly different that it’s impossible to make a cohesive plan from it. Know your goals, assess the site, then get the feedback. At this stage you’ll be better able to evaluate and prioritize the input you receive and get the project rolling.

Important things to note in this step:

• Clearly present your vision, goals and site findings so your stakeholders can see the full picture.
• Don’t disregard feedback, remember, your stakeholders are key to your success.

Working on a private splash pad project? Talk to our teams about creating spaces that attract new and repeat customers and let us share some exciting projects we’ve worked on with customers who have seen attendance skyrocket by adding splash play to their amenity offerings.

STEP 4: Project Drawings

It’s time to put the plan in motion. The first step is detailed project drawings that create a visual representation of the required components for your splash pad. Your drawings should clearly illustrate and define:

1. Overall layout – size and shape.
2. Placement of splash play feature elements.
3. Spray radius and flow rates of each feature.
4. Piping schematics.
5. Future phasing (if working on a phased project design).

Work with an experienced team of professionals like the Waterplay Project Support team to ensure that every detail is carefully considered in the layout of your project. Mistakes or lack of consideration during this step can lead to costly repairs discovered during installation or even years down the road. Choosing a manufacturing partner with experience and a high level of expertise is key.

Figure 1.1 - Discovery Stream