December 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 14

WE ARE PARKS AND RECREATION
What's New in Water Play
Lighting elements transform splash pads into
multipurpose community spaces
By Aaron Skogen
C
ommunities are reimagining splash pads to be more than areas
where kids play and beat the heat. Certainly, providing
water-based activities that allow little ones to have fun and keep
cool in the summer sun is still a priority. But communities also
are realizing that water features at splash pads can be used to create multipurpose
spaces that bring together people of all ages and abilities. A key
design element that's helping communities create these multipurpose spaces
is lighting.
An Illuminating Addition
Adding lighting to a splash pad can
enhance both its functionality and
aesthetics.
For starters, there's a growing
desire within communities to keep
splash pads open later. In some
communities, even the allure of
cooling off at a splash pad isn't
enough to draw families out of
their homes during days of sweltering
heat, which can be both uncomfortable
and dangerous. Phoenix,
for example, set a record this year
with 113 consecutive days (tinyurl.
com/mtx3wuaw) of temperatures
above 100 degrees.
Using simple accent lighting,
splash pads can stay open past dusk,
allowing kids to still have fun and
stay cool after the harsh daytime
sun has set. LED lighting that's
paired with water jets also can keep
the fun going into the night and enhance
play, such as by allowing kids
to have fun in water that's " painted "
with different colors. The lights can
even turn on and off to move with
the water as it shoots from the jets at
timed intervals.
Additionally, lighting features
can create ambience and beautify
these spaces to breathe new life into
them at night. They can draw older
residents on strolls, create hangout
places for young people or simply
wow passersby in the evening hours.
Some communities also have combined
water and lighting features to
create a picturesque backdrop for
events like evening concerts.
New Life for an Old
Fountain in Boise
For years,
the
than
beloved fountain
at Ann Morrison Park in Boise,
Idaho, was better
picture-taking
suited
for
play. But a
renovation project at the park last
year transformed the fountain into
a spray park where residents of all
ages can play, connect and simply
cool off in the warmer months.
The signature element at the park
is a 70-foot-long, fully inclusive water
play environment with 69 LEDlit
water jets. The jets create a tunnel
of streams that children and adults
alike can run or walk through. At
the edges of the water play area, 14
waterfall-like water weirs cascade
out of concrete benches, allowing
visitors to cool their feet.
When the sun sets, the spray park
becomes a colorful spectacle. The
LED lights can illuminate the water
jets in the dark with a full spectrum of
colors. The park even programmed
the lights to shine red, white and blue
to celebrate the Fourth of July.
Using accent lighting, splash pads can
stay open past dusk, allowing kids to
still have fun and stay cool after the
harsh daytime sun has set.
14 Parks & Recreation | DECEMBER 2 0 2 4 | PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
A Day-and-Night
Difference Maker
With the simple addition of lighting,
splash pads can be more than areas
for daytime fun - they can become
community hubs. And, by extending
the operating hours and function
of these spaces, they can become
more inclusive and engaging for all
members of a community.
Aaron Skogen is General Manager at
Aquatix by Landscape Structures Inc.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LANDSCAPE STRUCTURES INC.
http://tinyurl.com/mtx3wuaw
December 2024 – Parks & Recreation

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