Rain Drop Products offers north central Ohio engaging water play
AT: Tim Baldwin
MANSFIELD, Ohio — When it opened on May 25, the Mansfield Area YMCA had more than a summer cooldown in mind. The focus was to bring the community together and to provide a fun and safe space for children with all abilities to enjoy play time with each other.
Funding for the project was received from the Richland County Foundation.
“A community pool is a gathering place for families to get to know one another,” Brady Groves, president of the foundation, said in a statement. “We supported the Mansfield Y’s Splash Pad because it builds a stronger, healthier community.”
Rain Drop Products was the supplier of the water elements and features. Mark Williams, president and CEO, takes this particular project to heart.
“Rain Drop has taken a niche that was unfulfilled in aquatic play,” Williams said. “People are wanting to see what the next concept is in splash pads. I’m not the father of inclusive play, but we are now bringing in ideas that people didn’t even know to ask for.”
With zero-entry and virtually no standing water, the installation is not only wheelchair friendly, but eliminates any possibility of drowning incidents.
“They came to us with no vision of inclusivity, nothing beyond ‘we want to build a splash pad,’” Williams told Amusement Today. “Their one caveat was that because of generous donations, they wanted to do something special. At that time, I was contemplating changing the dynamics of a traditional splash pad to introduce lights and sounds and action and reaction. So, there was this idea of interactivity we wanted to include and, at the same time, develop the idea of inclusion to maximize the sensory experience. They said ‘special,’ and I said ‘How about something new?’ So we went down that path.”
Inclusive play focuses on many of the body’s senses: sound, sight and touch, as well as motion and movement. This was the first splash pad project of this nature for Rain Drop.
Williams feels inclusivity goes beyond just being accessible to wheelchairs.
“We had always been wheelchair accessible, but as I’ve come to find, that is the floor,” he said. “We want to stimulate in other ways — an audible way, a tactile way … I don’t claim to be an expert in inclusive play, but I’m certainly an advocate for it. Now kids with low vision or autism are provided stimulation that they may also like. We’re making things more fun. There is more to it than just spraying water.”
One of the features is a submarine that engages imagination. As youngsters peer into the submarine, an LED illusion gives the impression of looking deep into the sea. Bubbles are regularly timed to emerge from the submarine and spray features keep the interaction constant.
“One of the buttons plays sounds of a submarine, but it also causes vibration,” noted Williams. “To watch children of all abilities and their reaction, the kids think they just started the sub. It is beyond smiles; it is the excitement of what they are doing. To dream this up in the shop is one thing, but to see it in real life, from a career standpoint that is just ‘wow!’”
Depending upon a child’s particular needs and abilities, specific details stimulate senses, while others are more calming for those who need gentler play. One of the themed elements is a shark. Because of a speaker being built into the component, the “Baby Shark” song comes on and instantly kids dance to the song.
In season, the facility was available for event and party rentals. Lighting features were incorporated for night activities. Regular rates were $3 for those 12 and under, $5 for those over 13. Members were admitted free. The park operated from Memorial Day to Labor Day, weather permitting. The Splash Pad opened daily at 11:00. Closing times varied depending upon the day of the week.
“I’m so proud of what we’re doing and the direction the industry is going,” said Williams. “I’m proud that we are leading the pack. We are now taking it to the next level. This is just the beginning.”
This article appears in the OCTOBER 2019 issue of Amusement Today.
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