Instead of screaming, "I'll tell you what you can do - you can mop the floor and take out the trash and stop whining to me!" take a deep breath, tell them to go put on their bathing suits and take the short drive to one of the five Hawaiian Falls Water Parks located in the DFW area.
Hawaiian Falls is built with the family in mind. Play with the kids in the Wave Pool, hang out in the Lazy River as they float by, or watch as they go down their favorite rides like the Pineapple Express.
If you have older kids, take my lead and relax with a stack of magazines under the shade of a cabana while your tweens and teens frolic in the water. When you get hot, grab an inter tube floating by you on the Lazy River and hop on. That's my kind of fun in the sun! Um, and did I mention yet how they have waiters who will attend to your every need in the cabana area. Trust me, it's worth the price to get a cabana. It gives you a home base and a shady spot for the day.
One of my favorite things about Hawaiian Falls is that these "micro-parks" average about 8 acres in size. They are small enough that older kids can roam free and feel on their own, but small enough that it doesn't ever take me more than 10 minutes to find my posse if I need to. You can also feel good knowing that lifeguards and EMTs are always on site to ensure safety.
For $10, visitors to Hawaiian Falls can bring a cooler of any size, with food and drinks and have a picnic. Lockers are available for rent; inner tubes are available for free on a first-come, first served basis, as are life jackets (you can bring your own life jacket as long as it's coast guard approved). Cabanas can be reserved for $100-$125 with 24-hour advance notice, and may include such things as wait service, a refrigerator, private areas, and chairs and tables.
If you're looking for a way to spend a day having fun and beating the Texas heat, Hawaiian Falls Waterparks may be just what you're looking for. Check online for prices, specials, events, and a complete description of the park you're planning to visit.
Hawaiian Falls Water Parks are open through Labor Day. For more info, visit http://www.hfalls.com
Hawaiian Falls Mansfield, 490 Heritage Pkwy S, 817-853-0050
Hawaiian Falls Garland, 4550 N Garland Ave, 972-675-8888
Hawaiian Falls The Colony, 4400 Paige Rd., 972-370-437
Hawaiian Falls Roanoke, 290 W Byron Nelson Blvd., 817-853-0099
Hawaiian Falls White Settlement, 8905 Clifford Street, 817-591-1159
This post was brought to you by Hawaiian Falls. While I did receive a complimentary day at one of their locations for authoring this post; product selections, descriptions, and opinions are 100% my own. Interested in a sponsored post or product review? Contact me for rates and details.