It’s summer time again and what better summer activity is there than swimming! Most children love playing in a kiddie pool, but there are so many different types of kiddie pools available on the market. Which one is right for you and your children? Here are a list of the different types of kiddie pools to help you with making your decision on the right kiddie pool for your child to enjoy this summer.
Kiddie Pool #1: Hard Plastic – These kiddie pools are the ones that you will commonly see sitting outside of your local Wal-Mart, K-Mart or dollar stores. These are hard plastic, molded into the shape of a kiddie pool. They are tough to damage and can last you several years, if properly cared for. Some even have built-in kiddie slides to add a little more fun to the pool. These pools are so easy to set up, fill and empty that they are ideal for anyone who just needs a quick kiddie pool for their children. You just set it where ever you want it and throw a water hose into it. No worrying about holding up the sides or smoothing out wrinkles in the bottom.
Kiddie Pool #2: Soft Plastic – This type of kiddie pool seems to be the most inexpensive of all kiddie pools. I’m sure you have all seen, or used, this type of pool at one point or another. They are the ones that you can get for about $10 at your local Wal-Mart. They come in a box and you will have to set them up. This kiddie pool will definitely take more than one person, unless you have the patience of a saint, to set it up properly. These pools are made of a soft, flimsy plastic. The walls of the pool will only stand up when the pool is full of water. These pools will probably not last more than a season or two because of how thin the bottom of the pool is. Any small rock will puncture the bottom, leaving a hole that water will continually leak out of. These kiddie pools are good when you just don’t have the money for anything more expensive or if you just need a quick kiddie pool fix.
Kiddie Pool #3: Inflatable – Lastly, you have the inflatable kiddie pools. These are just what the name discribes, inflatable. You blow up the pool and then fill it with water. The inflatable pools are great at reducing any tipping pool sides or hard plastic edges, but they are terribly troublesome if you have any outside cats around your house. The one year that we had an inflatable kiddie pool I patched that thing about eight times, simply because our curious outside cat would stand on it to see what was inside of it. Their claws would punture the inflatable pool every single time they stood on it. It drove me insane. If you don’t have a cat problem outside then you may want to explore the option og an inflatable kiddie pool. Otherwise, stick with one of the other two types of kiddie pools listed above.
In my many years as a mother, we have had numerous kiddie pools in both our front and back yards. My children have enjoyed every type and size of kiddie pool imaginable. They have all given me headaches dealing with them at one point or another. All of them, except for the hard plastic types, have gotten some sort of hole in them that I’ve had to deal with. I’ll tell you right now that trying to find a hole in any type of pool can take a lot of patience, without someone standing next to you asking why there’s not enough water in the pool or why the pool is flat.
These are the main types of kiddie pools available. Each type will be available in various sizes, diameters and depths. You will want to determine the size needed by the age of your children. If you had an infant, you will, of course, want something very shallow for them to play in. If your child is an older toddler you will be able to get something a little deeper for them to play in. No matter what type of kiddie pool you choose, always watch your children closely while they are playing in or around it. Never leave any child, regardless of age, in or around any body of water unattended. A drowning accident can happen in the blink of an eye. Be safe and have fun!
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