As the temperatures start climbing, it is time to think about cool fun in the water. White Water Bay opens this weekend, and what better way to spend time with the family while staying cool and having tons of fun!

Last year, my family visited White Water Bay for the first time since moving to Oklahoma and we had a blast. There are plenty of things to do for visitors of all ages. My two-year-old daughter’s favorite attraction was Kid’s Kove where she played in a zero-depth wading pool complete with an octopus to play on, a submarine to climb through, fountains and small slides. She also enjoyed floating in her life jacket in the wave pool and the lazy river. My five-year-old son enjoyed all of those attractions as well as Ship Wreck Island, an activity pool with wobbly lily pads, jumping rocks and slides. He was just old enough (and tall enough) to go down some of the tamer big slides. The whole family got in on the action on the Big Kahuna. On this slide, four people can ride down a large flume in a giant raft. Since passengers do not get tipped out of the raft, the whole family was able to enjoy it…that is, three of us were able to enjoy it while the fourth one screamed in terror. I’ll leave you in suspense as to which of us that was. When it was all said and done, we had a great time and stayed all day long.

Insider Tips:

• To save money, pack a lunch! Picnic areas are available for use near the front of the park. (Please note that a small fee applies to check in your cooler for the day.)
• Free life jackets are available on a limited basis. We brought our own for the kids and it helped a great deal in areas like the wave pool and lazy river. Contact the park for details about specific rules and restrictions regarding life jackets.
• Tubes may be rented from the park for the day. We did not rent any because it would have been too difficult to keep track of small children and a tube, but from what we saw, renting a tube would have shortened the wait a little on rides where tubes were required during the busiest time of the day.
• Rent a locker. It is worth it not to have to worry about your valuables being stolen.
• If you have small children that are unable to ride the bigger rides, it is probably a good idea to visit the park with another family or friends so that the adults can take turns on the big slides. We did just that and it was a lot more fun for the adults than standing in line and riding the slides alone.

What to do:

• Dive-In Movies at White Water Bay (3908 W Reno, OKC) feature outdoor movies in the water park. Movies start at dusk. FREE with park admission. Fridays June 21st through August 2nd. 943-9687, www.whitewaterbay.com.

  Upcoming showings include:

  • June 21: Thunderstruck
  • June 28: Rise of the Guardians
  • July 5: Here Comes the Boom
  • July 12: Hotel Transylvania
  • July 19: School of Rock
  • July 26: Hunger Games
  • August 2: Evan Almighty

Happy Splashing!