The sound of happy children mixed with cascading water Thursday at the in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Families flock to the park on days when the temperature sizzles.
Parents Melissa Porter Parks and David Parks brought 18-month-old Logan to the park.
鈥淭he slide, the big-kid鈥檚 slide, is his favorite,鈥� she said, while Logan splashed about in an area where fountains of water surged from the concrete.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to keep him inside all day; he likes being outside,鈥� Porter Parks said.
She also said the splash park allows Logan to enjoy water, and she doesn鈥檛 have to worry about him not being old enough to swim yet.
Kelsey Guinan, who was managing the front desk entry, said that鈥檚 a common feeling among parents.
鈥淲e get a lot of kids who are slightly afraid to, like, super-afraid of water, who come here and face their fears, and by the end of the day they鈥檙e crying because they鈥檙e leaving.鈥�
Seeing little kids develop a love of water, she said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 awesome!鈥�
Guinan always encourages families to take the next step, and introduce their children to swimming.
鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing like a summer at the pool,鈥� she said.
Lifeguards are on duty at the facility, which includes buckets suspended from what looks like a large flagpole. Walk underneath it, and time it just right, and you may get soaked by the cascading water.
鈥淲hen you walk in circles underneath it, you wait and see just which one鈥檚 going to splash on you,鈥� said Guinan. 鈥淚t鈥檚 super cool!鈥�
Samuel Rodgers, an 18-year-old lifeguard, said another attraction at the park is the 鈥淛umping Pillow鈥� 鈥� a sort of open air moon bounce.
That鈥檚 something that kids have to be dry to use — if they鈥檙e wet, it鈥檚 too slippery.
But hands-down, he said, the favorite activity among the kids is simple: 鈥淩unning through the water!鈥� Whether it鈥檚 dashing through the 280-jet fountain maze, slipping behind the wall of water from inside a simulated cave, or slipping down one of the kid-sized waterslides.
海角精品黑料’s Kate Ryan reported from Germantown, Maryland.
