Village Market boasts of being the place ‘where children go’ with the largest water park that is a favorite of many kids, attracting kids from as far as Zimbabwe for some water slide craze on the monster slides, going upto five storey high.

 

This week, the park is hosting a group of kids from Zimbabwe, and according to Francis, the number of kids going to the slides is still high despite the cold weather especially on weekends. On a busy day especially on weekends and during the school holiday, the park attracts up to 800 kids a day.

The park has nine water slides, all of different sizes and shapes, some open others closed ,and others quite steep; and draining down into a splash pool; is the biggest water park not only in Kenya but in Eastern and central Africa as well.

Open to kids from 40 inches and above; the park is known as ‘village market where the children come’ with a team of 14 attendants all of whom are trained life guards attending to the kids .On a busy day more attendants are hired to ensure the safety of the kids.

Initially, the park used to admit kids from six years and above but realized they could not always tell the age of all kids and therefore opted for the height instead. There is a gauging line at the wall just where the payments are made where kids stand to have their height taken.

Asked if it is dangerous, Francis Odala, one of the supervisory team says no, so long as one follows the rules and listens to the attendants
‘Like every game there are rules here too and ‘safety is our first priority.’

Just before you go up the stairs to the slides, there is a board with a set of rules and regulations which include no going with your head first, no sliding with you hands or knees, no standing up in the slides and forming of chains.

No one is allowed to the slides without an attendant and all attendants, who trained life guards, have whistles for them to warn kids to move from dangerous zones.

For the very smaller kids there is a baby pool just next to the lower pool, with a fountain in the middle where the very little ones can have fun with water as well.

‘We realized the smaller kids can’t be confined to the bouncy castles so we came up with this for them,’ said Francis

Another regulation at the park is that everybody should take a shower in the washrooms before you get to the slides; and as you go up the stairs, there is a footbath with treated water for people to dip in their feet so that they do not carry sand or other dirt particles to the slides.

The first platform gets you to two white slides running approximately 20m, and draining into the splash pool; a small pool at the bottom with no deep end and therefore allowing do diving.

The two white slides are especially suitable for kids who know how to swim, and can as well be used in racing. Only one person is however allowed at the slide at a time, until the splash pool is cleared.Slightly higher is the orange slide which has lots of curves and can go over 100m if stretched. Unlike the white slides, this can accommodate up to five people moving at a distance, and an adult can slide with a child too.

Then there is a closed slide, slightly bigger than the orange one and with more curves, stretching approximately 150m.This is the most favorite with the kids, says Francis, because the bends are quite sharp and it is dark.

This is suitable for both swimmers and non swimmers as well, because it does not drain into the splash pool. The slide opens up before you get to the end and the water breaks instead of going into the pool.

Initially there used to be boats for this slide but they were withdrawn because kids would really scramble for them. The slide is big enough and can take many people at a distance of 5meters away.

The green slide is the steepest of all and is restricted to kids above eight years. The slide does not end in the pool and is so steep that it takes just 2-5 second to get to the end.
‘its like falling from the sky,’ says Francis.

There is a stoppage/closure just before you get to the end of the slide, where the water percolates and forms a pool so that when one gets here the eater splashes and functions as a break.

Then there is an open slide where one can see the sky as he /she slide down and is suitable for kids who do not know how to swim as it does not end up in the pool.

Basically, the water in the park keep flowing in circulation. It is pumped up the slides from a lower pool, then flows to the splash pool, and through a meandering river ride back to the lower pool. The lower pool is also not deep and therefore cannot be dived into.

The river ride passes under the building at some point and is also popular with kids as it gives the feeling of ‘being in a cave’ with some twenty floaters available for the kids to use and float till they come out at the lower pool.

Attracting up to 800 kids on a good sunny day especially during the school holidays, Village Market water park is open everyday from 10am to 6pm. Charges are Sh250 on weekdays and Sh350 on public holidays and weekends for those who are 40 inches and above. For the smaller kid using the baby pool charges are Sh100.

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