After I built my first lakehouse water slide in Connecticut, one of the next jobs my team did was out at Burger’s Lake in Fort Worth, Texas. Burger’s lake is a beautiful little spring-fed, sand bottom lake and the owner was looking to add more attractions to the facility.
His kids were getting older and he was realizing the guest families had a great time until the kids reached the age of 8 or so and then they would stop coming. Families with older kids were having difficulty finding water activities that appealed to the entire group. We see that scenario all the time, regardless of whether we’re talking to a homeowner or a small retreat owner.
Our clients want to increase the excitement level on their property to keep the whole family or group involved. While getting a good mix of activities at your place to appeal to both kids and adults is tough, putting in the right water slide makes it much easier to strike that balance. That’s why most of our customers want us to design a slide (or slides) appropriate for the whole family.
To deliver that broad appeal, you have to get the fundamentals right. Put in something too small (length or width) and the kids won’t go near it after they hit 10 or 12. Get the water slide design right and your place will become the go-to spot for kids and adults. So how did things turn out at Burger’s Lake? We put in three slides to help the facility appeal to the pre-teen and older group and they absolutely loved them. The lake even has a trapeze now—how cool is that?
If you’re looking for more ideas on how to keep the play at your place this summer, check out our post on active play: Ramp Up Your Family's Active Play This Summer.