SETTING A SAFER PRECEDENT FOR CANADA: YMCA OF GREATER MONCTON

Recently, NSF International expanded Standard 50 to extend across Canada, which includes recommendations for surfacing in aquatic play areas under NSF/ANSI/CAN 50:26 (formerly NSF/ANSI 50:26).

With its recent Life Floor installation, the YMCA of Greater Moncton, NB is one of the first aquatic facilities in Canada to recognize the importance of having NSF/ANSI/CAN 50:26 certified safety surfacing. The facility is a combination of an indoor splash pad with a zero-depth entry and a playground. Because of this unique configuration, the staff sought out a product that was able to transition seamlessly from wet to dry applications while maintaining their commitment to safety. To accomplish this, they selected Life Floor to be installed.

“Having seen Life Floor at a major trade show, we knew it was the product we wanted to install in our new facility.”

— Scott Munro, Vice President of Facilities

A custom beach-inspired design was chosen to complement the existing tropical theming. Life Floor’s foam-rubber tiles were able to create the perfect transition the YMCA needed between the wet and dry play areas, especially since splash pads are essentially wet playgrounds. The cushioned and impact-absorbing surfacing allows children to run, jump, and play without limits - never needing to stop and put on shoes or change the way they play from one area to the next. As a result, the fully immersive experience enhances imaginative play. 

The YMCA of Greater Moncton is skipping ahead of their competition by creating a facility full of imagination, play, and fun. They have created a holistic experience to provide their members with the perfect beach day right in their community’s backyard.

We thank the YMCA of Greater Moncton for their commitment to safety and for being one of the first in Canada to adopt NSF/ANSI/CAN 50:26 safety surfacing standards for the benefit of their members. We look forward to the future as more Canadian facilities follow their example and recognize the importance of this safety standard as an integral part of their business.

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To learn more about the official code in your region or state, check out this free resource.

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If you’d like to specify or install NSF/ANSI/CAN 50:26 surfacing for an aquatic play area in Canada, please contact our Canadian Partner, Paul-Émile Beaudry at pebeaudry@polyvalens.ca to assist you in both English and French.

For U.S. clients and all other inquiries, please contact us directly via our online contact form or send us an email at solutions@lifefloor.com. 

French Translation

Le YMCA du Grand Moncton, NB crée un précédent sécuritaire en milieu aquatique au Canada.

Récemment, NSF International a étendu la norme Standard 50 partout au Canada, incluant des recommandations pour les surfaces de jeu aquatiques sous l’appellation NSF/ANSI/CAN 50,26 (précédemment nommée NSF/ANSI 50:26).

Avec ses récentes installations de Life Floor, le YMCA du Grand Moncton, NB est l’un des premiers centres d’installation aquatique à reconnaître l’importance d’avoir une surface sécuritaire certifiée NSF/ANSI/CAN 50:26. En effet, l’établissement se compose d’un mix de  deux (2) aires de jeux, l’une étant une surface mouillée (indoor splash pad) plane et l’autre étant une aire de jeux sèche. À cause de cette configuration spéciale, les employés ont recherché un produit qui permettrait la transition en toute transparence, de la surface mouillée à la surface sèche pour leurs activités tout en gardant un engagement de sécurité irréprochable. Un seul choix leur permettait de tout rallier : Life Floor.

Après avoir vu Life Floor lors d'un grand salon, nous avons sû que c’était le produit que nous voulions pour nos installations !  —Scott Munro, Vice Président du YMCA du Grand Moncton, NB

Au niveau du design,  le thème tropical dans l’aire de jeu d’eau et le thème plage dans l’aire de jeu sèche sont en parfaite harmonie pour s’adapter au thème pré-existant. Et maintenant, les enfants peuvent donc courir, sauter, culbuter et jouer sans limites sur une surface conforme aux nouveaux standards. Les surfaces coussinées  et absorbant tout impact permettent aux enfants de jouer sans s’arrêter pour mettre leurs chaussures ou changer leur façon de jouer d’un endroit à l’autre. Comme résultat, l’expérience devient totalement immersive et renforce leur jeu imaginatif.

Le YMCA du Grand Moncton devient donc un chef de file en adoptant des installations pleines d’imagination, de jeu et de plaisir ! Ils ont créé une expérience holistique en offrant à leurs membres une journée de plage parfaite en plein dans leur cour !

Nous remercions le YMCA du Grand Moncton de leur engagement pour la sécurité de leurs membres et d’être les premiers au Canada à appliquer la norme NSF/ANSI/CAN 50.26. Nous espérons que plusieurs autres organismes, centres aquatiques  et municipalités suivront l’exemple du YMCA et reconnaîtront l’importance de l’application de cette recommandation comme faisant partie de leur politique d’opération .

Si vous désirez de plus amples informations sur les tuiles Life Floor, communiquez avec Polyvalens Inc, notre distributeur au Canada.

10 Ways to Give Your Aquatic Facility a Competitive Advantage

How do you ensure that guests are choosing your aquatic facility over others? And when they do visit, what is encouraging them to extend their stay? The simple answer to this question is to provide elements they aren’t able to receive elsewhere - it’s a key principle of competitive advantage. On a very basic level, visitors need to feel comfortable and excited about amenities. While location weighs into the convenience factor of which facility a visitor may choose, other factors such as superior safety, cleaner surfaces, level of shade, and play features can all sway decisions. 

Ultimately, guests are looking for the best possible experiences they can give their families. Parents want to ensure their kids have fun over summer vacation and want to fill their childhoods with positive memories of fun. They’re going to choose to visit environments that support these good experiences and they’re going to choose locations based on perceived value. 

Curious about how you can increase your facility’s perceived value? Keep reading for our top 10 tips:

1. Cleanliness of Facilities

Maintaining a clean facility is more important now than ever during the midst of COVID-19. As facilities begin to reopen, parents want to ensure their children are avoiding coming into contact with viruses and bacteria. One or two bad reviews online can be enough to sway parents into choosing another facility, so consistent cleaning practices are important.

2. Superior Safety Features

Safety is at the forefront of many parents' minds. For those with toddlers, child-proofing their homes is a familiar task. However, ensuring their children’s safety at splash pads and pools is full of uncertainties. Is the surface cushioned? Is there a lifeguard on duty? Are water shoes needed to give children better traction or to protect against abrasive or hot surfaces? Many questions play into decision making. 

One way to ensure the safety of your facility is to walk through your features like a child would or ask visitors how they feel about your facility. It may sound unusual, but get down on your hands and knees or walk around it barefoot. Is the surface abrasive and uncomfortable? Does it feel too hot? Is it slippery? Consider all aspects of play in your analysis to find areas that could be improved. 

3. Appropriate Shade Levels and Seating Options

Consider all of your guests and know their demographics. Are grandparents bringing their grandchildren to your splash pad? Is there a shady area that allows them to sit and watch without being uncomfortable? Are there picnic tables so that families can eat lunch together and then resume play or do they have to leave the park for food with the chance of not being able to return? Making sure your guests stay cool, comfortable, and well-accommodated will encourage them to stay longer. By knowing the demographics of your visitors or creating ideal demographics of who you wish would visit your facility, you make the space more welcoming to more people.

4. Exciting and Interesting Play Features

Play features add to the overall play value of a facility. Play features include water jets, sprayers, climbable features, and unique flooring patterns like hopscotch or theming. Having a good balance of engaging features per square foot is important to provide guests with more options of play. Using a safety surface like Life Floor in conjunction with spray features allows your facility to maximize this utilization while providing superior safety. With a surface like Life Floor, you can create engaging designs that work with your existing play features and give parents another draw for visiting your facility. Ultimately, safer play features result in more positive experiences and memories.

5. Keep Accessibility in Mind

Accessibility is often overlooked when designing facilities. Even one concrete step could mean someone’s experience could be prevented entirely. To analyze all aspects of making your facility accessible, we recommend fully immersing yourself in the task - ride a wheelchair from the moment you enter the parking lot all the way to the final destination and utilize different features such as drinking fountains, bathrooms, and play features along the way. It helps you realize firsthand the shortcomings and/or benefits of your facility design. 

6. Drinking Fountains

Having one or more drinking fountains on location is important because a lack of potable water means visits can get disrupted and end if guests are thirsty and either forgot to bring water or assumed it would be present at the facility. It is equally important to ensure these fountains are consistently clean and free of contaminants such as gum or other foreign objects that may contain bacteria or viruses. 

7. Accessible and Clean Bathroom Options

For smaller facilities, bathrooms are a luxury; however, offering a bathroom or suggesting one nearby can prolong visits and ensure the cleanliness of facilities. In some cases, learning that they have to leave and go home to use a bathroom may result in children having otherwise avoidable “accidents” in or around the facility. This can cause issues for facility operators that then need to shock the system and eliminate traces of the contaminant. If bathrooms are present, it is also important to ensure that they are clean and maintained since a dirty bathroom can have the same impact as not having one at all.

8. On-site Parking or Free Street Parking

Offering a free parking option can encourage guests to visit your facility that may not have otherwise due to location convenience. By offering parking, you are signaling to your visitors that you value their time and are offering them an amenity to encourage their patronage. Keep in mind that parking should still be accessible to all people and include ramps or valleys in curbs so that people riding wheelchairs can enjoy the facilities as well.

9. Cost

Cost can be a barrier to entry for some guests. Often, having a paid facility can help support other costs such as on-site food, bathrooms, lifeguards, and other luxuries. However, free facilities can encourage guests to visit more often and develop location loyalty. It’s ultimately up to your brand model to decide which option you want to offer and which features are most important for you to provide your guests.

10. Have Fun with It!

Get excited about your facility! Your guests can tell how much effort was put into it, so have some fun with it. Whether it’s getting creative with your signage or introducing a mascot for your city or even installing a unique and engaging floor - your guests will thank you and become champions for your city if they fall in love with your special park. Be proud of the work you’ve accomplished and never stop having fun!

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If you’d like to learn more about how to incorporate fun surfacing designs into your facility, send us an email at solutions@lifefloor.com or give us a call at 612-567-2813. We’d love to help you increase your facility’s competitive advantage!

The Importance of Free Play in Aquatic Environments

Childhood is a time of limitless imagination, boundless creativity, and wild invention. It’s the one time in life when exploration is encouraged freely without the weight of daily responsibilities other than formal learning and helping with chores. The freedom of being young displays itself in many ways, one of which is free play. 

Free play is critical to a child’s development. It enables them to problem solve, think critically, develop stories, and innovate. It can be seen in activities such as building Lego sets, playing house, creating structures and gaining achievements in video games like Minecraft, strategy forming in board games, and simply running through backyards envisioning new worlds. One method of free play continues to evolve as children explore aquatic environments, such as splash pads. 

Children play at Lopesan’s Costa Bavaro Resort, Dominican Republic.

An octopus tentacle leads guests through a spray feature at Westfield Memorial Pool, NJ.

Historically, splash pads have included spray features that inspire thoughts of running under mountainous waterfalls, becoming pirates on a treasure-hunting adventure, or riding gigantic animals through vast seas. Far too often, these features have laid upon a blank canvas of abrasive concrete beckoning for inspiration. Covering this blank canvas with a specific flooring design is one way to further encourage free play. For example, a pirate-themed splash pad could round out the experience for children with an “x marks the spot,” different clues on the island to give more context, and a beach theme with blues symbolizing the water, tans symbolizing the shore, and aquatic creatures sprinkled throughout. It could even include hopscotch inlays to encourage children to jump from shape to shape to get across a certain section of the surface. This concept of adding theming to the flooring design can also help with zoning. For instance, a facility could denote a more adventurous zone with darker blues creating the “high seas” or a calmer zone with tans to portray a peaceful sand-colored beach. 

Before: Disintegrating Pour-In-Place at Wyndham Bonnet Creek, FL

After: Life Floor’s Pirate Theme at Wyndham Bonnet Creek, FL

Alternatively, surfaces can display a more simplistic, geometric pattern to encourage a different kind of free play. For example, “the floor is lava” is a common game for children to play by jumping from color to color or chasing each other around by only touching certain patterns. These activities could augment the free play made available by the water features they encounter as they run around. 

Children play on the hexagon surface at Parr Park, Grapevine, TX.

It should be noted that free play is only as free as children feel while engaging with the aquatic environment. Do they feel like they can tumble to the ground without fear of a bruised knee? Do they think they can jump around without losing their footing and slipping? Are they certain in their games that the only thrill is that of excitement and not of fear of injury? 

Life Floor strongly believes that aquatic surfaces should lessen and, if possible, eliminate fear of major injury. It’s natural to get a couple bruises playing; however, if injuries halt play then something needs to change. Our company was founded on the idea that play shouldn’t be painful. Scrapes, cuts, and concussions shouldn’t be a common occurrence on splash pads and pool decks, especially when young children could be getting their initial introductions to aquatic free play. That’s why a central tenet of our brand is safety. Our product provides safer surfaces with cushioning, impact absorption, and slip resistance, allowing kids to play freely as they were meant to play: without fear. 

For more information on the benefits of free play, please visit https://wetheparents.org/importance-of-free-play

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If you would like to discover ways you can transform the flooring at your aquatic facility, please send us a message at solutions@lifefloor.com.