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A NEW Toddler Summer Hangout: Wet ‘n’ Wild Phoenix Barefootin’ Bay

Featured Image above is from Unsplash.

You guys, I’m so excited to finally get to share this awesomeness with you guys. a little over a month ago, I was lucky enough to partake in a Blogger event at Wet ‘n’ Wild Phoenix along with some other amazing Bloggers to try out their NEW toddler haven: the 4,700-square foot activity pool called Barefootin’ Bay!

Barefootin_Bay_Kids
Image: Wet ‘n’ Wild Phoenix

Growing Up by Water Parks

Some of you reading this might not have checked out my About Me page yet to know that I’m originally from Southern California. In SoCal not only are you privileged enough to be within a short driving distance to the nearest beach, but you are also lucky enough to have water parks near by. A few years we would get an annual pass and pretty much live at the place. I have very fond teenage memories of those summers. So to say I’m a “water park pro” would be sort of accurate. lol… Because of this I kind of have high expectation of water parks in general.

Wet N Wild Phoenix Barefootin' Bay

Dealing with a Toddler in the AZ Heat

For those of you that were following along with my Instagram Live during the Wet ‘n’ Wild event, you would know that I was pretty excited about what they were now offering to parents. I sat down in the lounge chairs and chatted with a non-blogging Mama at what they had before Barefootin’ Bay since this was my first time at the Wet ‘n’ Wild in Phoenix. Previous water parks in the past always had a at least a calmer lagoon type of area for toddlers so I was kind of surprised when this Mama told me that before Barefootin’ Bay, there wasn’t another toddler area. They did have a Wet N Wild Jr. area but it was not meant for babies or toddlers. She was quite excited (as was I) that this place now existed. When it’s 500 degrees outside, anything with the word WATER I am all about, especially with an insanely active 3-year-old.

Wet N Wild Phoenix Barefootin' Bay

Wet N Wild Phoenix Barefootin' Bay

What Barefootin’ Bay is All About

When you enter the area of Barefootin’ Bay, you will see a giant play structure similar to your normal outdoor playground, only this one has water shooting out all over the place! There is a giant tipping pineapple bucket that fills with water and tips over the roof of the structure which splashes water alllllll over the place. Tipping cones stationed throughout the whole area that fill with water and suddenly TIP over an unsuspecting kiddo. Rope pulls, water sprayers and valves for kids to control water. Two different slide areas on this structure – one slide is a tube so it’s enclosed and the other is an attached two-seater slide (the purple one in the picture at the top of the post.) There is less than a knee-deep amount of water that is surrounding the structure and it tapers off to a shallow depth the closer you get to the outer rim of the area. Because of this, with close supervision, babies that can sit up unassisted would love Barefootin’ Bay too.

Wet N Wild Phoenix Barefootin' Bay

Wet N Wild Phoenix Barefootin' Bay

 

Gentry Approved?

Gent used to be a water baby. He loved bath time but somewhere along his 2nd and 3rd birthday he didn’t want any more bath time and only wanted to shower. He hated water on his head and bubbles anywhere near him. He still remains like that to this day. Get him outside with water though and we are talking about a different kid.

Wet N Wild Phoenix Barefootin' Bay

I’m pretty sure he went down this slide for a good hour – solid. Pulling him away from this area was like pulling teeth. I was able to get him to try out another slide, just a short step away from the play structure. This area wasn’t new but was a part of the Wet ‘n’ Wild Jr. area.

 


We played through nap time and I just knew that was a recipe for disaster. Around 2pm he started having meltdowns so I knew it was time to go. He fought the whole way to the car so needless to say… Barefootin’ Bay is #GentryApproved šŸ™‚

Wet N Wild Phoenix Barefootin' Bay

 

Mom Approved?

As your typical helicopter parent, I am always fearful of drowning so I am usually within arms reach of Gentry. When I let him run up to the play area, I held back the urge to run after him and just let him be. One of the greatest things that I experienced this day was how many lifeguards are stationed around Barefootin’ Bay.

Wet N Wild Phoenix Barefootin' Bay

Wet N Wild Phoenix Barefootin' Bay

On top of all the lifeguards monitoring the water, at the top of every hour they have a 10 minute safety break. All of the children have to leave the water and rest on the shore or take part in another area of the park. I loved that they do this and makes me feel extra confident in letting my son explore.

Wet N Wild Phoenix Barefootin' Bay

On top of the extra added safety of the lifeguards, the seating around Barefootin’ Bay was great. There was ample chairs to go around. Thankfully, all of the seating was shaded which made it nice. There was plenty of Mom’s breast-feeding and feeling comfortable too which I loved. You can also bring your stroller and a bag or two and not feel like you’re the awkward overpacker. I feel like if you’re hanging out in this area, everyone understands parenting and there’s no eyebrows being raised if you know what I mean.

Wet N Wild Phoenix Barefootin' Bay

The park was also very clean which is always a plus for this OCD mama.

Lastly, there is one other little area that I loved. It was a little palm tree splash pad adjacent to the play structure. This too would be great for little ones or even parents who want to cool off.

So is this Mom approved? Darn skippy it is. This will definitely be on the to-do list on trips back to Arizona for visits!

What do others have to say?

Below are some other bloggers that were at the event along with some media posts you may want to check out!

Correa Mommy – Wet ‘n’ Wild PHX

Real Life on Purpose – Arizona Adventures – Wet ‘n’ Wild Phoenix

Friday We’re In Love – WET ā€˜Nā€™ WILD WATER PARK FAMILY DATE

AZFamily.com – Barefootin’ Bay opens at Wet ‘n’ Wild (part 1)

AZFamily.com – Barefootin’ Bay opens at Wet ‘n’ Wild (part 2)

North Phoenix News – Wet ‘n’ Wild Makes More Fun For Little Ones

 

helpful info

Location:

4243 W Pinnacle Peak Rd, Glendale, AZ 85310  // Adobe Dam Regional Park on Pinnacle Peak Road, near I-17 // North Phoenix

Hours of operation:

Head over to their Operation Calendar for exact times by clicking HERE.

Open this year from March 18 through October 15, 2017.

Additional Park Info: CLICK HERE

Season Passes:

When you take the minions over to Barefootin’ Bay, might I recommend a little tip for you. The season passes pay themselves in less than 2 visits. Knowing how hot it is in Arizona, you will more than likely be making this a part of your weekly/monthly routine throughout the rest of the summer (and into fall…am I right?)

If season passes just ain’t your cup of tea, a little birdy told me there will be a little sale on July 14th at 12:01am through July 15th for tickets. So be on the look out on Wet ‘n’ Wild’s Facebook for more details!

 

Wet ‘n’ Wild is SOCIAL!

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New Toddler Hangout Barefootin Bay Wet N Wild

 

This event was compensated by Wet ‘n’ Wild Phoenix. All opinions are my own.

What are some ways you stay cool during a hot summer with little ones? Comment below!

Bre. Geiger