I've been looking for a safe, clean, and fun place to take Jo swimming. He loves the water and as much as I would love to hop in the pool and swim with him, Addie would never last. So if I do go to the pool or the beach I have to bring the hubby with to make sure he can swim with Jo while I splash with Addie on the sidelines. After looking around a bit, I found a few pools or parks that offer kiddie water areas, but this one is by far my favorite. It's called Alga Norte Aquatic Center in Carlsbad.
It boasts four water areas, a recreational pool for all ages, a lap pool, a hot tub for adults, and the splash park. We go for the splash park and it occupies and wears Jo out easily. I, on the other hand, can sit nearby in a shaded area with Addie and watch him run and play. There is a lot of room to set up for the day or just for a few hours and you can bring your own lunch and even chairs, but the center offers pool loungers, lunch tables, and plenty of shaded areas. They even have a concession stand if you don't feel like packing your lunch. Life vest are offered but if your child is
more comfortable in their own floatation device, it will be permitted as long as it is USCG approved. There is an admission fee, (for most accurate pricing click here), but it is no more than $5 for an adult. They also have spectator prices for adults who aren't swimming. I usually get in for the spectator price at $2 and Jo gets in for $3, Addie is of course, free. So for our family, we can go to a mini water park for about $10! It's an awesome way to get out of the house, get some sun, wear the kids out, and not break the bank- that's got my name written all over it! When the day is done and you're ready to get out of your wet clothes, they have a locker room for each sex where you can shower off and change. It's a great amenity. If you are in the SoCal area or just looking for something fun to do for the day but don't feel like spending and arm and a leg, I would definitely suggest coming here. It is so much fun and its hassle free.
The Aquatic Center is a part of the Alga Norte Community Park which boasts 32 Acres of sports fields, skate parks, picnic areas, dog park, and so much more. These parts of the park are free and are just as clean and safe. For more info on the park, click here.
If I had known about this place sooner, I probably would have planned Jo's birthday here. It's about 30mins from my home in Oceanside, and a lot of our friends are coming from the area we used to live in, San Clemente/Dana Point, and it would be about an hour and half from them, so we opted for something closer. We did look into the birthday party packages and they are incredible! They have party packages for all ages and reasonable rates. All the packages include a covered/ shaded area with tables, chairs, and your choice of color coordinated table cloths and balloons. Each party also gets a personal POC for the day so you have someone at your beck and call. It's pretty awesome. I can't remember all of the different packages but some include inflatable bounce "houses" and slides, pool of balls, and then the splash park. We were looking into the splash park package and it was the cheapest package starting at $100 for 75mins of play and the aforemetioned details.
Overall, it's an awesome place! We took our friend's kids there when were babysitting and they loved it as well! My favorite part? Every time I leave, the kids fall asleep as soon as I pull out of the parking lot. Summer and Motherhood just got a ton easier because of this place. Woo-Hoo!!!
Biggest tip when coming here... bring your camera. The kids faces lighting up when playing in the water is priceless. Hope you enjoy the pics! Let me know if you're headed over there, we will meet ya!
The water in all the pools and water features is heated. It's not super warm, but its not freezing cold.
Because there are so many places to swim and play here, it's never really too crowded. Plus, when you are at the splash park, the kids don't usually last more than two hours, so there is always people coming and going.
The first day I came I packed my own lunch, but when we brought my friend's kids we bought from the concession stand and it was 'bleh.' The food isn't anything grand, it's kid/ amusement park food- nachos, hotdogs, pizza, etc. I did pack my own healthy snacks and drinks though, so our food bill that day was only $25 for hotdogs and fries. The kids obviously loved it, but I cringe at the thought of feeding them junk. From now on, I think I'll just pack my own food to save money and our arteries.
Ok you get it, we had fun. So get off the computer and GO HERE! I'll say it again... clean, fun, and CHEAP!
