Odd. This Georgia girl still doesn't understand living in a place where September is hotter than July. We've had something of a heat wave the last couple of weeks, but Eli and I have made a fun go of it thanks to the El Cerrito Splash Park.
Surveying the wonder of it all...
See the kid on the right looking up at the colored buckets?
Those buckets slowly fill with water and periodically tip to shower the kids below. Eli was pretty quick to figure out how it works and makes a point to stay out from under there. But one time he spotted a kid playing with a cool water toy and forgot all about the buckets. Sure enough, a huge splash landed on Eli's head. Little Guy was shocked and instantly ran for dry ground, scanning for Mama as he ran. He threw himself in my arms and buried his face in my lap for a couple of seconds. Then he started to giggle...then to laugh...then to belly laugh. "LOTS of water," he sputtered, and then ran back into the play zone.
The big grin says it all!
One Mama's Two Cents:
I was a little surprised that the park hours are short and broken into two sessions. (Click here for more information.) But the park is such a fun and easygoing place for toddlers that it is worth fitting it into our schedule. Seats for adults on the sidelines are few and in full sun, so I bring a picnic blanket that I can tuck into one of the shady spots around the edges of the landscaping. The grass gets soggy, so a waterproof blanket is better than a towel. Also, I found Eli gets tired of water-only after about fifteen minutes, but he'll play for hours if he has some water toys -- buckets, tot watering can, and the like. The place sometimes gets crowded, especially if a daycare shows up, so I usually bring a stack of clean dollar store unbreakable cups that we can share with all the kiddos without worrying about collecting every single one of them again.
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