Day camp makes a splash with water park
BY JENNIFER AMATO
Staff Writer

JENNIFER AMATO A group of campers at the Mill Road Day Camp in North Brunswick play in the new Splash Park, which is 3,600 square feet of misters, bubblers and sprays designed to beat the heat while entertaining water lovers of all ages.

NORTH BRUNSWICK - Mill Road Day Camp is offering a new wave of activities to its campers with the recent addition of the Splash Park, 3,600 square feet of sprinklers, bubblers and misters designed to beat the heat during the summer months.

The large, red mushroom, orange and red spray poles, yellow pole with an assortment of buckets and frog with its open mouth took about three weeks to design and four months to install, all with the purpose of alleviating the summer temperatures.

"Last summer, we had a few weeks that were absolutely oppressively hot. This was a unique opportunity to keep a lot of kids safe and cool," camp Director Jerry Waldron said.

The Splash Park celebrated its grand opening at the Davidsons Mill Road facility on Sunday, with 600 people viewing it for the first time. The 60-by-60-foot area has a zero depth, level with the ground, to accommodate babies to seniors to nonswimmers. The area can accommodate up to 200 children at one time, with the only restriction being rain. The 20 spray features are interactive, with campers controlling the pressure by stepping on the ground features.

The water is filtered through the pool filters and is treated with chlorine. Waldron said the health department inspects the facility weekly.

"We were aware of the fact that some other camps have built this in other locations but we're proud of the fact that we're the only camp in Middlesex County that has a spray park," he said.

Waldron said the water activities are what the campers look forward to most. As part of the itinerary, swim instruction is offered to all of the 3- to 15-year-olds on a daily basis, with recreational swim times in the afternoon. There are four pools with a giant slide and a bumper boat pool. There are 20 American Red Cross certified lifeguards and water safety instructors.

"We think it's important for kids to feel comfortable in and around the water and have respect for the water. While it's fun, it can be dangerous. Although in eight weeks [of camp] we can't make accomplished swimmers, we can at least make them comfortable in the water," Waldron said.

The other activities offered at the day camp, which is accredited by the American Camp Association, include archery, batting cages, cooking, dance, digital photography, fishing, horseback riding, karaoke, mountain biking, skateboarding and beach volleyball. There are also camp shows, offsite trips, theme days and barbecues.

"We've been in business for 35 years. We're family owned so we have that consistency in leadership and a commitment to a safe, exciting environment for the kids and the way you do that is by adding new things and investing in your facility," Waldron said.

Registration is still open for the last four weeks of camp. For more information, call (732) 821-9155 or visit www.millroaddaycamp.com.