Since I stay home with AJ during the day most of the week, we definitely have to find things to do to keep us occupied. We get a little stir crazy staying at home, and since our big room doesn't have a/c, just ceiling fans, we also try to keep cool other ways. We've had a pool in our backyard for the past few summers, but the pump broke last year, and we decided that a new pool just wasn't in the budget this summer. We put AJ in the pool last year at about 3 months old, and he loved it from the beginning. My whole family loves the water, (although Dave and I seriously disagree over which is best, fresh or saltwater) so AJ is already a little water bug. We have found a few fun spots that are toddler friendly that we have put in rotation for our summer outings. Here are our favorites!
Northglenn Kiwanis outdoor pool: We enjoy this pool for several reasons. I grew up at the Kiwanis pool, we took our end-of-year field trips there, and both of my brothers' graduation parties were held there. But what I love about it now is the baby pool. They have a small pool, about 12' x 12', a foot and a half deep, that has a shade canopy over it, which is really important, especially with my little blondie baby. They have swim lessons Monday thru Friday in the mornings, so the big pool is closed, but the baby pool is only a dollar! Such a great deal, and it's nice to just sit on the side and let them roam, because it's fenced. Now it is probably a little deep for infants. Even AJ can't get back up if he falls face forward, which he does often. That's why you just keep a close eye out, and they have a lifeguard just for this pool. We went at about 10 on Wednesday and we had it to ourselves for a good half hour, before just a few more kids showed up. It was nice to not be over crowded since my little guy gets knocked over pretty easily.
The Bay in Broomfield: Another hidden gem, The Bay has also been around since I was a kid, apparently I went as a child but don't remember. Last week was my first time back and I was really impressed. The Bay is really a mini water park literally hidden in the middle of Broomfield. Since I had AJ by myself I didn't get to try out the three tube slides, but they looked like tons of fun! They had a few areas where we played, giving AJ some variety. They have a baby pool, ranging from 6" deep to 18"deep. This pool also had a water slide that we really enjoyed. It was very mild, and most kids could go it alone. There's also a waterfall on the side. The other great part was the zero entry pool, meaning it was like a beach, gradually getting deeper. There is a play structure in the shallow area with water spouts and such that AJ really enjoyed. The water was a great temperature, and it wasn't extremely crowded, but we went from about 3:30-5:30, which was perfect. You can take in food and pool toys too. Here is a link to the website for prices, location, and hours.
Pop Jet Fountains: These interactive fountains have become very popular around here in the last several years, not something I remember having as a child. There are so many now, you can find them at almost any playground, we even have them at the mall where I work. I think one of the great things about the fountains is that the kids can choose how wet to get, they don't have to get completely submerged like in a pool. I love taking my shoes off and walking through them with AJ, or sitting back and watching him look down into the hole, and end up with a face full of water. Dave was a little wary of these fountains at first, thinking that the water was dirty I guess, but it's always chlorinated. These tend to be a bit more crowded now, obviously free water play is pretty popular. I try to go at 9-9:30ish, before it gets really hot. Here are the links to our favorite ones.
E.B. Rains park at Webster Lake
Carpenter Park at the Thornton Rec Center
Westminster Center Park
The Orchard Mall
And of course, we have a wading pool in our backyard for the rest of the time. Hope you can try out some of these "cool" spots!
