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Homemade Backyard Water Parks 101

A homemade backyard water park is something that appeals to many people, especially those with children, but also leaves them with many questions. To answer some of these questions, look no further.

Homemade backyard water parks take time to make. You need to have various permits, a reliable water source, and knowledge on how to build. It is also important to know the costs and what the pros and cons of homemade backyard water parks are.

There are many reasons why someone would want to create a water park in their backyard. Read the rest of this article to find out more information on homemade backyard water parks and what you need to know about them.

What Do I Need to Set Up a Backyard Water Park?

To create a backyard water park, you will need to make sure you have the following items and take the appropriate steps.

A Reliable Water Source

It is important to make sure you know where you will be getting your water from. A waterpark cannot happen without water! The water needs to be clean as well.

A Budget

Having a realistic budget in place before you begin creating a blueprint of your park is a crucial part of the planning process. You do not want to come up with fabulous ideas only to disappoint yourself later because it was not financially feasible.

It might be helpful to do some investigating on how much other water parks spend. From there, you may be able to get a better idea of what you need to spend.

These next tips aren’t for those who are doing this for themselves and their family. But if you want to setup an actual business to earn from a waterpark you’ve built, these are good tips.

Set Up a Corporation or LLC

This is an important step so that your waterpark will not be held responsible if something happens. They are not expensive to have and pretty easy to do.

Ways to Promote

Business is not going to happen unless you promote your park. When you establish a park name, create social media platforms of all kinds so people will know the exciting news. You can even have special deals and sales for the first 100 people to enter your park!

A Target Group

What kind of age range do you want your park to reach? Do you want to sell alcohol and have cocktail hour with the adults, or would you like to have a more family-oriented scene? Whatever your target group may be, promote as much as you can to that specific group.

There are many components that go into making a homemade backyard water park. Some may go unnoticed, and it is important to have an idea of what you are doing before you begin the process.

How Would You Supply the Water?

Having water in your water park is a non-negotiable item. You need to keep in mind where you will be getting the water from, along with how much water you will be using. This can become expensive.

Your method of supplying water will be based on the number of attractions you have in your water park, along with how large they are. The larger the attraction, the greater the amount of water is needed.

Check out two of the ways that water could be supplied, and see which one(s) may work best for you.

Use a Water Hose

Almost every house has a water hose they can use and can be as easy as placing the hose at the top of a slide. However, it can get expensive pretty quickly and may not be the most cost-effective.

Install a Water Pump

Installing a pump can also be pretty expensive. If you are looking to make a larger backyard water park, this is the way to go.

Ultimately how you provide the water is up to you. You will be able to make this decision easier after you have determined a budget for your park, what kinds of attractions you want your park to have.

What Kind of Permits Do I Need?

The type of permits that you will need will vary. It will depend on what state you live in and even what county you are in.

Of course, if you are not planning on making a profit and just want your backyard to be a lowkey hangout spot, then you probably do not need a permit or license. It is still worth it to double-check because no one wants to get in trouble!

If you do plan to make your homemade backyard water park public, you are now going to be held responsible for anything that may happen to your customers.

This includes damage to your property, their property, and any injuries they may receive while on your property. Insurance and the right kind of permits are incredibly important!

Safety is Important

When it comes to water parks, safety is one of the main priorities. A slide is no longer fun if it comes with scrapes, bruises, and broken arms.

You may be unaware of some safety precautions that big-name water parks take to ensure that everyone will not get injured. Here you will find some of the primary rules water parks follow.

Children Under Twelve Should be Accompanied by an Adult Throughout the Day

Safety does not just involve making sure there are no open wounds. It also minimizes the chances for a child to go missing or to get injured because there was no adult supervision.

Allow for Professional Installation

You may not have to worry about this if you are having a slide into a plastic pool. But if you are planning on having water slides that are complex or intense, it is best to call on people who have been installing them for years.

This may be a bit expensive, but professional installation is much less expensive than having a customer sue you for a broken leg.

Have a Visible Sign of Rules Your Customers Must Follow

Some things may seem to be common sense. Regardless, it is necessary to have a sign posted that explains what you do and do not want your customers to do. Make sure it is in a place where people can easily find it. It would also be helpful to have this sign posted at multiple places, all entrances, and exits, and at the beginning of every ride.

Make Sure Your Rides Have Been Tested

A ride may not be safe, even if it appears to be. Make sure that you have tested the ride multiple times and have had professionals check as well. A lawsuit would not be a great look for your business.

Hire a Lifeguard

No one is able to keep their eyes on a child at all seconds of the day. Hiring a lifeguard is a crucial step to making sure guests have a safe time at the park while also making your guests feel comfortable. If they do not feel safe, they are less likely to make a reappearance.

Again, safety is your main priority. If your park is not safe, it will not receive many customers.

What Kinds of Rides Should I Include?

The types of rides and attractions you have should be based on your target group. Would you prefer to have the majority of people enjoying your park to be young children? Or would you rather have exhilarating rides that teenagers cannot resist?

Here is a list that may help you narrow down what types of rides and attractions you will want to include:

Babies and Young Children

Small slides, fountains, splash pads, and simple objects that spray soft water are going to be ideal for infants and young children. Interactive objects for parents and their children to play with together are also a plus.

Older Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults

Larger slides, wave pools, and a regular pool area will appeal most to this age group. The rides can be more intense and exciting.

Adults and Older Adults

The adults are going to want lazy rivers, a regular pool area, and an area to sunbathe in.

No matter if you intend on having a water park strictly for teenagers or a park that is family-friendly, it is important to plan for the crowd you want.

The size of your park and the different kinds of attractions will depend heavily on the size of your yard. You are not going to be able to fit thirteen water slides on a small patio, so being realistic is necessary.

It is also important to have various food vendors there to feed your crowd. A long day of swimming and riding water park rides will undoubtedly make a person hungry and thirsty. Get ahead and have snacks available that can satisfy everyone.

What Can I Build if I Don’t Want Water Rides?

The best thing about creating your homemade backyard water park is that you get to decide what you do and do not want. Many people do not enjoy water rides and would prefer a calmer environment to hang out in. There also may not be enough space to have the large rides you would like.

You can find ways to create a water park without rides, no matter the situation. Keep reading for some wonderful examples of how to do so!

Create a Sprinkler Out of PVC Pipe

This is a simple and easy way to stay cool. The kids will love it as much as you! There are some great ideas out there, and they all involve hooking pvc pipe together and drilling holes to spray water.

Here’s a quick video to show what it looks like:

Using Water Balloons

Water balloons will never go out of style. They are cost-efficient and incredibly fun. It is also a great stress reliever to hit someone and not actually hurt them! If you use water balloons, be prepared to clean up the leftover pieces.

Make Sponge Bombs

This may be a new idea to some, but it is an excellent and inexpensive idea! Here’s a quick video to show you how it’s done:

Make Your Own Slip ‘n Slide

This idea works best if your backyard is on a hill. Get some kind of tarp or plastic material, a water hose, and baby oil. Then you are all set for some fast and furious fun! To make this even more exciting, you can grab cheap plastic floats and race other people down the hill.

Check out our Make Your Own Homemade Waterslide article for more info on that.

Buy an Inflatable Pool

These pools can come in so many different shapes and sizes. This idea is one of the most relaxing things to have in your backyard water park and will be appreciated by everyone who comes.

Here’s the 12 Best Inflatable Pools currently for sale. There’s something for everyone in that list and all have the highest ratings we could find out of what’s available.

Create a Tanning Station

Not every person who goes to a water park is going for the rides and wave pool. Some are going because they want to work on their tan! This will be true for your water park as well. Be sure to have multiple chairs and spaces for people to sit down and relax while catching some rays.

A water park can be great with or without rides. It is up to you to decide how much or how little work you want to do and what you want the atmosphere of your water park to be.

Are Homemade Backyard Water Parks Common?

Whether backyard water parks are common or not depends on how large the water park actually would be. It also depends on how you would define a backyard water park.

Some may say a backyard water park is a tarp with some baby oil thrown on it. Others may say that it is a park that requires a $5 admission fee. Obviously, the smaller ideas will be the most common, and the ones that make a profit will be much harder to find.

For smaller homemade backyard water parks, here is a great YouTube video explaining how it was built. You will want to have a vision of your park before you begin so that you know what to expect in the building process.

Pros and Cons of a Homemade Backyard Water Park

You have read this whole article that talks about how to make a waterpark in your backyard, but you may still be wondering the benefits and drawbacks of having one. Read no further! Here is a list of some benefits.

You Can Save Money

Let’s face it; we all know that water parks can become incredibly expensive, especially when you are paying for more than one person. If you budget correctly, there is a greater possibility of saving money and still having the same amount of fun in your own backyard!

You Can Also Make Money

If you are really serious about opening up your water park in your backyard, you can make a profit off of it. After you grow your business and have a stable amount of customers, you will more than likely begin to make money out of your own backyard!

It Is More Sanitary

Again, if it is just for you and your loved ones, there is not much concern for someone using the bathroom in the pool or waterslide. If you do plan to make it for a larger scale crown, it would not be a bad idea to invest in some chemicals for cleaning.

You are Close to Home

With a homemade backyard water park, you have the luxury of literally being in your backyard. You do not have a long drive to or from the park, and you have all the snacks you would want within a hundred yards. Plus, you will get to use your own bathroom!

But with almost all benefits comes some kind of disadvantages. Below you will find some drawbacks to having a homemade backyard water park.

The Cost May be Expensive

It is dependent on how serious you want to make your water park become. The money that you will inevitably have to put into the park for purposes such as cleaning, repairing, and overall maintenance may cost you much more than the park is actually worth.

There is Much Time Invested

Nothing worth having comes without tending to it. The same goes for backyard water parks. If you have more complex water slides and attractions, you will be spending more time cleaning them and making sure they are safe.

It May Take Some Patience

Rarely will your homemade water park gain traffic right off the bat. It will take time for good reviews to come in and for a good reputation to be built. This can get discouraging, but if you are serious about it, do not give up!

Your ideas May Be Limited

Your mind is working fast and has a million ideas on how your park will be created. Unless you have endless amounts of land, your ideas will more than likely be limited by your space. It is important to be realistic and work with what you have. Most importantly, have fun!

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