It's hard to believe that it is almost August already! Well, one step outside and it is actually pretty easy to believe that it is the dog days of summer. Let me try that intro again….
It's hard to believe that it is almost time for school to start! I feel like my family has just hit our true summer groove…and by summer groove, I mean pretty much doing everything that we don't do during the school year—the hustle and bustle of after-school activities is replaced by long afternoons in the pool, bedtime routines have been replaced by family movie nights eating popcorn, regular dinnertimes have morphed into picnics at outdoor concerts, and a bunch of other things we can enjoy only during summer.
But, for my daughter, the time has come to start the official 30 Day Countdown to the beginning of the next school year. (Wondering how many days until your school starts? MetroFamily has a convenient list of school starting dates in the OKC metro area!) So, I've decided that we need to focus on some special end of summer fun while we are still footloose and fancy-free.
If you need inspiration for end-of summer fun, a great place to start is MetroFamily's list of 14 ideas for family fun in the OKC metro area. While you can't go wrong with any of those options, there is one that my family finds particularly appealing this time of year:
Where to Go:
Andy Alligator's Water Park in Norman is the newest water fun park in the metro area, and includes numerous water slides, a lazy river, a huge spray park/play area and more. Plus, it is all sparkly clean and new, with plenty of free parking. My family went on the park's opening day back in May, but an unusualy cool day made it hard to really…well…jump in and enjoy. So, we are looking forward to another chance to enjoy this fun water park and a current Groupon was just the incentive we needed.
What to Do:
Since I have a preschooler, Bubbler's Beach was a hot spot for my family (no pun intended). This spot is perfect for the 5 & under crowd with small slides and splash-pad like features. The Paradise River was indeed my ideas of paradise, a long, lazy river that snakes all around the park. And, of course, if you are a fan of water slides, Andy Alligator's Water Park offers both fast, straight slides and the curvy fun of the Bonsai Pipeline.
How to Save:
If you read this before Monday, July 23 at midnight, you can save over 50% on admission with the current Groupon offer (a family of 4 for only $36??? Totally awesome!) Or, if you miss the Groupon deal, you can enjoy special Friday Night Family Slide Nights on July 27, August 3 and August 10, where a family of 4 can get in for only $44 from 3-8pm. Or take advantage of Mom's Monday, where one child gets in FREE with each full price adult admission purchased.
However you celebrate the end of summer, I hope it is full of family fun and great summer memories! (Also, did you know your favorite summer memory can help you win a Kindle Fire?)
As for my family, look for us racing down the Riptide Racer as we soak up as much fun as we can!
Brooke
