Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. The owner of agpoolreviews.com receives a commission when you click one of these links and purchase a product.
Visiting a water park in the summertime is always fun, but unfortunately, it never lasts long enough for the kids. Unless, of course, we’re talking about a water park in your own backyard. Then the kids can knock themselves out, splashing and sliding to their hearts’ content until the weather turns cold.
While the idea of a backyard water park might seem extravagant, inflatable water parks are actually quite affordable – especially compared to above ground pools and the like. Sure, they may not offer the same experience as an actual water park, but they’re definitely in a different class than any kiddie pool you can find. And, perhaps best of all, they’re generally a snap to set up.
A lot of products have the words “inflatable water park” on the box, but only a handful have the dimensions and features to truly live up to the name. If you’re looking for something extra-special for your backyard this summer, here are 10 of the best inflatable water parks that even the biggest of big kids can enjoy:
1. Pirate Blaster
This epic pirate-themed water park can accommodate a whole group of kids (ages three and up). It includes a huge splash area, slide, tunnel, bounce area, and two water cannons that connect to garden hoses. According to the customer reviews, setup is so easy that even a landlubber can do it – but taking it down can be a pain in the booty.2. Blast Zone Ultra Croc
Let’s face it – water parks are all about the slides. This one comes with three of them, including one that goes right down the snout of a brightly colored crocodile. You can’t see it in this picture, but the other highlight of the Ultra Croc is the climbing wall around back.3. Little Tikes Rocky Mountain Racer River
This is one of the smaller (and more affordable) options on this list, but it comes packed with awesome features. The two slides and front-facing climbing wall encourage kids to race to see who can splash down first. There’s also a dump bucket at the top of the climbing wall for a refreshing surprise.4. Banzai Slide ‘n Soak
Banzai is one of the most popular inflatable water slide brands, and this is a good example of what they have to offer. In addition to the slide, this inflatable splash park features a climbing wall, shower sprinkler, and lagoon-style kiddie pool. It’s a great inflatable park for both the little tots and older kids.5. Blast Zone Hydro Rush
This one was obviously designed with parents in mind. Just imagine setting up a lawn chair next to the water cannon and blasting kids as they go for another turn on the slide. Not a bad way to spend a summer afternoon.6. Blast Zone Spray-n-Splash 2
Here’s yet another top-rated inflatable water park from Blast Zone. This one has a simple design, with a slide, splash pool, and climbing wall. However, it’s still big enough for a group of kids – and if you’re cost-conscious, it’s one of the least expensive options on this list.7. Little Tikes Slam ‘n Curve Slide
This inflatable slide is perfect for younger children (or groups containing younger children). With everything on one side, it makes supervision a lot easier. It has the standard splash pool, climbing wall, and slide, with a little basketball hoop as a bonus.8. Intex Surf ‘n Slide
And now for something completely different. This inflatable from Intex doesn’t have the same mix of features as the other products on this list, but what it does, it does really well. It’s basically a Slip ‘n Slide on steroids.9. Bounceland Jump and Splash Bounce House
Looking for something that works equally well as a water park and bounce house? If so, this could be the inflatable for you. Wet or dry, your kids will have fun romping in this thing.10. Blast Zone Shark Park
With a climbing wall, crawl tunnel, bouncer, slide, and 80-square-foot splash pool, this is truly the apex predator of inflatable water parks. The giant wading pool is especially cool because it allows grownups to chill in the water while the kids exhaust themselves with all the other ridiculously fun features. The Shark Park includes a total of four sprayers to make sure everyone gets nice and wet.Note that while all of the products on this list get solid reviews, it’s normal (and in fact, unavoidable) for a small percentage of people to have a bad experience. This is true of any inflatable, for reasons we outline in this article. Generally speaking, as long as you don’t expect these water parks to last forever, you should walk away satisfied.
Obviously, large inflatable water parks like these can be pretty expensive – especially if you’re buying it for a birthday party or some other event. In that case, you may want to look into rental options in your area. Other low-cost alternatives include inflatable kiddie pools and easy set (aka ring) pools.
