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Our visitors love our water area, especially for children up to 8 years old it is the main attraction.

For the staff however it is a very different story:  
-kids will splash the water all over the place
-they will try to get the water in other exhibits
- if you also have soap exhibits: take care there is some distance: for an 8 year old  there is nothing more interesting than getting the soap from the soap exhibits in the water vortex exhibit

So there is a lot of maintenance and cleaning going on

Also a  lot more repairs than other area's: the water just gets everywhere and the stuff you need to add for purification make the water more "aggressive"

The costs are high:
- a water area is a very expensive  investment (not only the exhibits, but the water purification and cooling systems that we have to install according to Belgian law)
- the maintenance cost is high: there just is no material or electronics that survives
And don't forget about safety: wet floors get slippery and kids will run in your water area

But all in all I think we will always have a water area: there are just so many cool water exhibits :fun and education are a good mix in water area's


kind regards

Patricia

Patricia Verheyden
Experience director
Technopolis®, the Flemish Science Centre
Technologielaan, 2800 Mechelen, Belgium
tel. + 32 15 34 20 20; fax + 32 15 34 20 10
mailto:[log in to unmask]        http://www.technopolis.be

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-----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
Van: Informal Science Education Network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Namens Amy Johnston Bray
Verzonden: woensdag 24 april 2013 4:26
Aan: [log in to unmask]
Onderwerp: water play exhibits- Yay or Nay. Please vote if you have a water play area

ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

Hi,

At Science Alive we are busy designing our new science centre. We know water play areas for preschoolers are a massive hit with the public but have logistical challenges. I've spoken to a few designers recently who have said given their chance again they would not have a water play area. What say you? Would you do it again? What have you learnt? 

 

Thanks,

Amy

 

 

Amy Johnston Bray

Programme Production

Science Alive

 

+643 365 5199

[log in to unmask]

www.sciencealive.co.nz

 

 


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