If you have children or teens in your family, we know how frustrating it can be sometimes to get everyone out of the house for some quality time together. Everyone has different interests or schedules and it’s safe to say that kids these days get glued to their phones fairly easily. Here’s an idea that everyone in your family can get excited about: going to a water park! You’ll be beating the heat, getting outside and active, and having fun together. Here are some of the best Connecticut water parks that we recommend you spend your day at! Just make sure to check the websites of these water parks for age and height requirements on certain attractions before you go.
Six Flags New England
This full-size amusement park in Agawam is home to Hurricane Harbor, the largest water park in New England! With over 15 different large attractions, there’s something for everyone. There are two 500,000-gallon lagoon wave pools, a huge wading pool, several slides for single or group rides, a relaxing lazy rivers, and Typhoon, the world’s first Proslide Rocket water coaster! At Six Flags, there are also plenty of options for younger children. The Kiddie Octopus and Pirate Ship are sure to please the younger members of the family. Hooks Lagoon, an elaborate tropical island tree house is any kid’s dream playscape. Six Flags New England is definitely great for all ages and interests. Just keep in mind that there can be long waits for rides and parking is an additional cost. Admission includes access to the theme park and water park.
Lake Compounce
Located in Bristol, Lake Compounce is the oldest, continuously operating amusement park in North America! It’s not too large, so it isn’t overwhelming for families with younger children, but there are still definitely lots of attractions. Lake Compounce features three twisting tunnel slides, Mammoth falls, a high speed family raft adventure, and Lake Plunge, a tube slide that ends in the lake! For a more relaxing day, check out Anchor Bay, a lazy river that features a water slide, Clipper Cove, a wave pool with a 300-gallon water bucket that dumps periodically, or the Pirate Ship. You could also rent a cabana to unwind in. Keep in mind that Lake Compounce doesn’t have many big rollercoasters, which may upset some teens. Admission includes access to the theme park and water park.
Quassy Amusement Park
This old-school amusement park in Middlebury features Splash Away Bay, a great place for interactive water play with the family! Choose from fountains, water cannons, water raft tunnels, and slides, including Tunnel Twister, a 400 foot twisting, turning, water slide and the FreeFall Extreme Bodyslides. At the center of Quassy Amusement Park stands Saturation Station, a multiple-tiered tipping bucket that releases 300 gallons of water. Saturation Station is also an interactive modular play unit. If you’re looking for something for the younger kids to do, Splash City has five water slides for youngsters who cannot participate in the larger ones and the Fish Pond has interactive splash pads for younger kids to play with. To get away from the water park excitement, try heading to Quassy Beach to take a dip in the lake or relax on the sand. One of the interesting features of this park is that you can choose a pass that includes what you plan on doing, so you only have to pay for the attractions you visit.
Brownstone Exploration & Discovery Park
Located in Portland, this water park certainly takes a different approach than the other ones we’ve mentioned. It’s perfect for the family that wants to get a little more adventurous outdoors but still cool off in the water. It’s also one of least expensive option! The first level daily pass allows access to swimming, hiking, biking, snorkeling, and kayaking. The next step up also includes cliff jumping, rock climbing, zip lines, water slide, rope swing, scuba diving, and inflatable obstacles for. Finally, you can do all of the above plus Wakeboard park if you purchase the highest level of admission. Just keep in mind that you may bring your own equipment and watercraft or rent your own for a separate price. Brownstone Exploration and Discovery Park is definitely suited for older kids, teens, and adults, so if you have young children, you should try another park.
Remember that you can purchase daily or season passes from each of these establishments depending on how often you’re interested in going. Just check out their websites to see what deals they offer. Hopefully, one of these parks sounds perfect for all the members in your family, whether they be young or old, looking for thrill or relaxation. The best part is, all of this family fun is close to home in Connecticut! We hope you have a great day keeping cool with your family and making memories at any of these water parks.