Tag: Water Fun

Swimming in the Spring

Relaxing in the Pool

Have you been counting down the days to summer thinking that you just can’t wait to dive into a pool? Are your kids already demanding a trip to the water even though your thermometer clearly says its cold enough to snow? Well, if you or your kids have been patiently (or not-so-patiently) awaiting all of the warm months that follow the spring, there’s nothing that actually says that you have to go swimming outside. In fact, if you’re looking for somewhere that you and your family can enjoy some time in the water without turning into kidcicles or adultcicles, there are three places that you should definitely check out.

First, if you’re looking for a water source North of Boston, there is no better place than the CoCo Key Water Park in Danvers. The CoCo Key Water Park, which is one of my nieces’ favorite places to go, is a 65,000-square-foot water park that features a lazy river, hot tubs, pools (including a zero-depth pool), water slides, water cannons, water basketball, a giant bucket that regularly dumps water on unsuspecting vict…err…attendees, and a whole lot more. For more information on the CoCo Key Water Park in Danvers, please visit the CoCo Key Water Park Boston North Shore website.

Secondly, if you’re hoping to enjoy the water in the city itself, the Salvation Army Kroc Center of Boston’s Aquatic Center is definitely worth checking out. The Aquatic Center at the Salvation Army Kroc Center is the largest (and, to my knowledge, one of the only) indoor water parks in Boston. This park features a lazy river, pools (including a zero-depth pool), a 150-foot water slide that winds around both the inside and outside of the building, water sprayers, and a whole lot more. For more information on the Salvation Army Kroc Center of Boston’s Aquatic Center, please visit the Salvation Army Kroc Center’s website.

Finally, if you’re in desperate need of an indoor swimming spot South of Boston, the Cape Codder Resort & Spa in Hyannis has you covered. The Cape Codder Resort & Spa’s Indoor Wave Pool & Fitness Center is a lot smaller than the facilities at CoCo Key’s or the Salvation Army, but it is still filled with a number of fun features. In fact, this 8,200-square-foot complex houses two saunas, an indoor wave pool, two waterslides, a whirlpool, and more. For more information on the Cape Codder Resort & Spa’s Indoor Wave Pool & Fitness Center, please visit the Cape Codder Resort & Spa website.

Photo credit: tom@hk | 湯米tomhk / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Friday Fun: How To Avoid Melting

Has your thermometer given up even trying to show a real temperature and is just reading “Hot, Hot, Hot? Has your air conditioner, realizing that there is no hope of cooling down your house, gone on strike? Are you afraid that if you don’t find something cool to do this weekend, you’re going to end up melting like the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz? Well, if you answered “yes” to any of these questions, there’s a pretty good chance that you’re in the U.S. right now. With temperatures approaching 100 degrees in many areas throughout the country, finding a way to stay cool is definitely at the top of most people’s to-do lists. Fortunately, if you’re in the Boston area this weekend, there are a number of events that are not only taking place at cooler places or cooler times of the day, but a number of events that are also absolutely free.

First, if you and/or kids are looking for a cool and refreshing treat, you may want to head over to Taza Chocolate in Somerville, MA tomorrow (Saturday, July 20, 2013.) Taza Chocolate is offering free Mexican-style popsicles, which are also known as Paletas, from 12 to 3 p.m. as part of their Chill Out Saturdays. These treats are made by a local vendor based in Cambridge, MA, known as Real Pops, and they come in a variety of flavors. For more information about Taza Chocolate’s Chill Out Saturdays, please visit the Taza Chocolate website.

If you are looking for a way for your kids to have some fun in the water, you may want to check out the Frog Pond Spray Pool & Fountain, the Rings Fountain on the Greenway, or the Veterans Memorial Swimming and Wading Pool. The Frog Pond Spray Pool & Fountain, which is located on Boston Common, features a free wading pool for young children and a 70-foot spray plume for children and their parents. The Rings Fountain on the Greenway, which is located in the Wharf District Parks in Boston, features a giant circular spray fountain that uses 64 nozzles to spray water in a series of circles around the people in its center. The Veterans Memorial Swimming and Wading Pool, which is located on Memorial Drive in Cambridge, features a full-sized swimming pool that adults and kids can use for free and a free wading pool for younger children.

Finally, if you and your kids are looking for something that is a little dryer but still pretty cool, you can always head on over to the Faneuil Hall Marketplace. The Faneuil Hall Marketplace not only has a number of shops, restaurants, monuments, and museums that everyone can enjoy, but also has a free light show called Summer Blink every night from 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. until September 6th. This special show features over 350,000 LED lights that will allow you see the entire Marketplace and the entire Boston skyline light up as the Standell’s famous song about Boston, Dirty Water, plays in the background. For more information, please visit the Boston Blinks website.