With three children aged three and under, I am often at a loss about how to keep them occupied during the cold Michigan winters. This winter, we have made our adventures trying out some of the indoor water parks in southwest Michigan and northwest/north central Indiana.
Splash Universe is located in Shipshewana, Indiana. It is actually a water park resort that includes themed hotel rooms, a general store, arcade, family spa, snack bar and ice cream shop. This was our first trip Splash Universe and I was pleasantly surprised with the cleanliness and appealing layout of the resort.
Hotel Room
The hotel room was very clean and looked as if it had recently been redone or remodeled. Most hotels I have stayed in that were geared toward children had stained carpet and other signs of children, but not here.
We stayed in a Shipshewana Suite, which offered three televisions, a king size bed, a sofa bed, two queen sized beds, a fireplace, two full baths and a kitchenette. This suite had a home-like feeling because the bedrooms were separated from the remainder of the suite. The living room and dining room were one large room. The kitchen was also separated, as were the full bathrooms. My children seemed very relaxed while we were in the suite. While the suite was a little pricey and a little too large for our needs, it worked well since the kids had a room of their own so they could sleep in peace.
The water park is open only Friday through Sunday during the school year and seven days a week when school is out. It is very clean and well supervised-although the smell of chlorine is quite strong.
For toddlers, there is a play fort and kiddie pool that kept my little ones busy for most of the day. The lazy river area was nice, but we didn’t spend too much time in it as the current was a little too strong for my little guys.
While life jackets and inner tubes are provided free of charge, you should bring your own towels as these aren’t provided. I brought three towels per person because with toddlers, we got in and out of the water often. Children who aren’t potty trained need swim diapers.
Other Information
Splash Universe in located in Amish country, which means that most stores and restaurants in the area aren’t open late. Because of this, you should bring your own groceries and personal care items. The general store in the hotel has a limited selection of items, but these are high priced as is the food on the premises. We bought breakfast, snacks and dinner and treated ourselves out to lunch once at the snack bar and once at a nearby restaurant.
Conclusion
If you are traveling with teenagers, this probably isn’t the water park for you unless your teens don’t mind smaller slides and kid-like attractions. For younger kids (ages 12 and under), this is a nice water park. The 84 degree temperature is a welcome break from the single digit temperatures outside.
