Hippo have transformed the toddler and childrens pool at
Guildford Spectrum Leisure Centre into a bright and colourful, highly
interactive play area. A range of play
features were chosen based
on Hippo’s research about customer needs and what children like to play with,
therefore aiming to increase visitor numbers and revenue at the centre. The play features provide excitement for all
ages and abilities, from the under ones through to teenagers, and promote
learning and water confidence through play.
A fun water factory has been created from two Masts and a
Waterball, which join together by two interactive arches. Both incorporate a variety of surprise and
anticipatory fun. Waterwheels, tipping buckets and shark showers are popular
with older children, whilst toddlers benefit from the low level play provided
by the waterball.
A mini splash pad including 3 in-ground water jets, an
interactive snake around the edge of the pad and mirrored portholes fixed to
the inner wall, offer tactile play and visual stimuli.
Bright and vibrant fish water squirts create fun by gently
squirting water into children in the pool.
Shark squirts which fill a tipping channel and multiple cascading channels
are popular with toddlers who can enjoy manipulating the water flow with
interactive paddles.
Additional mirrored portholes have been installed in the
plunge pool, and a variety of interactive play panels featuring mirrors and
bubbles add to the play experience through tactile, visual and auditory visual
stimulation. The panels also create a
barrier between the plunge pool and poolside.
Further panels have been used to prevent children climbing over the
interactive channels and behind the mini flume.
The open tube mini flume is 12m long and provides a quick thrill seeking
ride for older children.
A focal centre piece of the new play development is a unique
stripy lighthouse, complete with a flashing beacon which will light up when the
wave machine turns on. A toddler slide
snakes through themed rocks around the around the lighthouse ending in the pool.
Hippo installed handrails around the spa pools and at the
back of the splash pad for enhanced safety.
Non-slip wet pour safety surface was applied to the splash pad, the
poolside, the flume walkway and also provides a safe landing pad for the
toddler slide aound the lighthouse.
Hippo made effective use of existing water supplies and
worked as efficiently as possible to minimise the time that the pool was closed
to the public. The installation was
completed in time for the Christmas holidays.
Hippo have also allowed for further expansion to the play features in the
future.