A great aquatic facility does more than give people a place to swim.

For families, a visit to a swim school, community pool, or aquatic rec center might include checking in, getting changed, waiting for lessons, watching from the sidelines and celebrating a new swim level. Every one of those moments is an opportunity to make the facility easier to use and more memorable for families.

Thoughtful aquatic center design can also strengthen branding, create natural photo opportunities, and give children something to look forward to each week.

And you do not have to renovate the entire building to make an impact.

From suspended whales and branded wave photo ops to swim school mascots, aquatic murals and achievement displays, here are 15 ways to rethink the experience inside a swimming pool or recreation center.

1. Start With the Family’s Journey

Before deciding whether you want sharks, waves, coral, or tropical fish, think about how a family actually moves through your aquatic facility.

A typical visit might look something like this:

Entrance → Check-in → Change Rooms → Pool → Viewing Area → Achievement Area → Exit

Now look at those spaces from a visitor’s point of view.

Ask yourself:

• Where do families naturally stop or wait?
• Which areas feel empty, confusing or overly institutional?
• Where do younger siblings become restless?
• Where are parents already taking photos?
• Where could your swim school branding be more visible?

Instead of simply looking for walls to decorate, look for moments you can improve.

That creates a much stronger aquatic facility design plan.

2. Make Check-in Feel Like Part of the Experience

The check-in area is often the first opportunity to establish the personality of a swim school or aquatic center.

Rather than treating the reception desk as purely functional, consider turning it into a recognizable visual feature.

For a larger community recreation center, the design does not need to take over the lobby. A few well-placed aquatic elements can clearly define where the pool program begins while still fitting with the rest of the building.

A reception area could combine:

• Dimensional branding with your logo incorporated into waves, bubbles or aquatic shapes
• Aquatic murals or wall graphics to introduce the theme without using floor space
• A mascot character that greets children as they arrive
• Custom signage and wayfinding that helps families immediately understand where to go

The important thing is that families know they have arrived at your aquatic program.

3. Do Something Amazing with Those Huge Ceilings

One of the biggest design opportunities inside many indoor aquatic centers is directly overhead.

High ceilings give you room to create visual impact without taking up valuable floor space.

Instead of hanging a few unrelated fish, think of the ceiling as one large underwater scene.

Imagine a group of manta rays appearing to glide through the lobby. A whale could swim above the entrance to the pool. A diver might follow a school of brightly colored fish while jellyfish seem to float nearby.

Popular suspended features include whales, sharks, rays, sea turtles, jellyfish, schools of fish and divers, but the real impact comes from how they work together.

These types of suspended sculptures make large spaces feel more intentional and immersive.

They also create an immediate sense of scale. When a child walks into an aquatic facility and looks up at a giant whale, they notice.

4. Create the Place Where Everyone Takes a Photo

Families already photograph swim milestones.

Instead of leaving the background of those photographs to chance, create a place specifically for them.

A custom swim school photo op can celebrate moments such as:

• A child’s first swim lesson
• Moving up to the next swim level
• Earning a medal or certificate
• Joining the swim team
• Completing a summer swim program
• Celebrating a birthday at the pool

A sculpted wave works especially well because it instantly connects to swimming and gives children something they can stand on and interact with.

Your swim club logo could be worked into the crest of the wave. A mascot might pop out beside it. Your facility name or team colors can be integrated into the design without making the feature feel like a billboard.

Now when a parent shares that photo online, your aquatic facility is part of the story.

5. Bring Your Swim School Mascot to Life

If your swim school or swim club already has a mascot, there is no reason it has to live only on a logo.

Turn it into something children can actually meet.

A giant shark could become a photo-op bench. A friendly turtle could greet families near reception. A dolphin could point children toward swim lessons, while the same character appears again in murals and achievement areas throughout the building.

A custom swim school mascot sculpture can become one of the strongest branding tools in the facility because children begin to associate the character with their experience.

You can also carry the mascot throughout your environment using:

• Murals and wall graphics
• Directional signage
• Photo opportunities
• Prize and achievement areas
• Children’s play spaces
• Social media and marketing materials

The repetition helps turn a character into a recognizable part of your brand.

6. Make Swim Achievements Feel Bigger

Learning to swim comes with a lot of little victories that feel enormous when you are a little kid. Putting your face underwater. Swimming independently. Completing a level. Earning a badge. That’s worth celebrating!

Instead of handing a prize over a standard counter, turn the moment into part of the experience.

Imagine a sandcastle prize cabinet filled with badges and rewards. Or a treasure chest children visit when they complete a level. A beach hut or underwater cave could display medals, stickers, and certificates.

The display celebrates children who have reached a milestone while showing younger swimmers what they can work toward next.

7. Make Wayfinding Part of the Theme

Aquatic centers can be surprisingly confusing for first-time visitors.

There may be separate routes to swim lessons, spectator seating, competition pools, family change rooms, childcare and fitness areas.

The signs still need to be easy to understand, but they do not have to be boring.

A sea turtle could lead families toward the change rooms. A shark might identify the competition pool. A dolphin could mark the swim lesson area.

For example:

SEA TURTLE → FAMILY CHANGE ROOMS

SHARK → COMPETITION POOL

DOLPHIN → SWIM LESSONS

WAVE → VIEWING AREA

These visual cues can be especially helpful for young children who begin recognizing characters and colors before they can read every sign.

Good aquatic center wayfinding solves a practical problem while adding another layer to the facility’s identity.

8. Turn Large Blank Walls into Art and Murals

Indoor pools and community recreation centers often have large walls with very little happening on them.

That makes murals one of the easiest ways to dramatically change the feeling of a space.

An underwater reef could stretch along a lesson corridor. A mountain recreation center might feature local lakes, trout and wildlife instead of a tropical ocean. A swim school could build an entire mural around its mascot.

Popular aquatic mural themes could include:

• Underwater reefs and tropical oceans
• Sharks, whales and sea turtles
• Beaches and surfing
• Lakes, rivers and local wildlife
• Pirates and nautical adventures
• Swim school mascots and branded characters

Murals can also become interactive.

Hide sea creatures throughout the artwork, or add an I Spy game with hidden objects. Incorporate swim safety facts or information about aquatic animals.

Now the wall is not simply something children walk past.

It gives them something to discover every time they visit.

9. Remember the Parents Sitting on the Sidelines

Children may be the focus of swim programs, but parents spend a lot of time inside aquatic facilities too.

A good family-friendly aquatic center design should consider both audiences.

The viewing area does not need to become a giant underwater playground. In fact, keeping it a little calmer can create a better balance.

A branded wall treatment, a few dimensional aquatic elements, comfortable seating and clear signage can make the space feel connected to the pool without overwhelming it.

This is especially important in municipal recreation centers where the same facility serves toddlers, competitive swimmers, adults and seniors.

10. Give Younger Siblings Something to Do

Not every child visiting a swim school is swimming. Parents often arrive with toddlers or younger siblings who need to stay occupied while another child is in a lesson.

A small aquatic center play area can make a big difference.

For a compact space, consider:

• An underwater I Spy wall
• Wall-mounted activity panels
• A small reading nook
• Interactive games
• Sculpted seating

If you have more room, the area could become a miniature submarine, coral reef, or tropical island play zone.

The goal is not necessarily to build a huge playground. It is to give young children something enjoyable to do while families wait.

11. Let the Furniture Have a Little Personality

Not every bench needs to look like commercial furniture.

A sculpted shark could become a seat and a photo op. Wave-shaped benches could wrap around a children’s waiting area. Rock stools might create informal seating beneath a suspended ocean scene.

Custom themed seating for aquatic centers works best when it has a reason to be playful.

Use it where children wait, play and take photos. Keep larger spectator areas simple where capacity and circulation matter more.

One memorable bench can sometimes do more for a space than twenty ordinary ones.

12. Do Not Default to a Generic Ocean Theme

Aquatic facility design does not automatically mean coral reefs and tropical fish.

Your environment should still feel like your brand.

Before choosing a theme, look at:

• Your logo and brand colors
• Your swim school or swim club mascot
• Your local landscape and wildlife
• Your facility’s architecture
• Your program’s personality
• The families you serve

A swim club with a shark mascot might create an energetic ocean theme. A community pool near a mountain lake could incorporate local fish, forests and wildlife. A modern competitive swim school might use bold waves, lane graphics and dimensional typography instead of realistic sea creatures.

There is no single right look for a swim facility.

The strongest design is one people immediately connect with your brand.

13. Think About Social Media While You Are Designing

Do not wait until your aquatic center is finished to decide where people should take pictures.

Look at the building during the design stage and identify the moments families will naturally want to photograph.

Good photo locations might include the entrance, mascot sculpture, achievement area, branded wave, swim team display or birthday party space.

Then think about what will actually appear in the photo.

Is your logo visible? Is there enough space for a parent to stand back with a phone? Is the background interesting? Does the feature clearly belong to your swim school?

For swim schools and swim clubs, this is where facility design and marketing start working together.

You are creating environments families want to share rather than simply asking them to promote your business.

14. Remember That This is a Functional Pool

Aquatic facilities are demanding environments.

Decor may need to withstand:

• High humidity and moisture
• Frequent cleaning
• Chlorine exposure
• Heavy daily traffic
• Children touching and interacting with features

Placement also matters. Features need to respect accessibility, emergency routes, pool sightlines, circulation, doors and facility operations.

Suspended or large structural pieces may require additional coordination with architects, engineers and facility managers.

Good aquatic facility design should add excitement without making the building harder to operate.

Make the Swim Experience Part of What Families Remember

Children may come to your facility to learn how to swim.

But they remember more than the lesson.

They remember the giant whale above the lobby.

They remember taking their picture inside the wave.

They remember visiting the sandcastle when they finally moved up a level.

They remember the shark mascot waiting near the pool.

Those moments are what turn an ordinary swimming facility into somewhere children are genuinely excited to visit.

Thoughtful aquatic center design can make a building easier to navigate, more entertaining while families wait, more recognizable as a brand and much more memorable.

At IDS Kids, we design and fabricate custom environments for swim schools, swim clubs, aquatic centers, community pools and recreation facilities. Projects can range from one branded photo op or suspended sculpture to murals, mascot characters, achievement displays, seating, play areas and fully themed environments.

The goal is not to fill your facility with decor.

It is to create the moments children remember.

Frequently Asked Questions About Aquatic Center Design

What are the best areas of an aquatic center to theme?

Start with the places families see and use most often. Entrances, check-in areas, swim lesson waiting spaces, spectator areas, high ceilings, achievement stations and photo locations typically provide the biggest opportunity to make an impact.

What themes work well for swim schools and community pools?

Underwater and ocean themes remain popular, but they are far from the only option. Beach, surf, lake, river, nautical and local wildlife themes can all work well. Your mascot, branding and geographic location can also become the foundation of a completely original aquatic facility theme.

How can a swim school make its facility more memorable?

Give families one or two features they immediately associate with your brand. A mascot sculpture, branded wave photo op, suspended whale, themed prize cabinet or custom mural can become something children look forward to seeing every week.

How can aquatic center design help with marketing?

Create features families naturally want to photograph. When a child poses with your mascot, celebrates a swim milestone beside a branded photo op or takes a picture after completing a level, your facility becomes part of a moment parents are already likely to share.

Ready to create a space that inspires confidence and wonder?

Indoor children’s play areas have become a popular addition to a range of family-friendly businesses in recent years. From shopping malls and family restaurants to gyms and fitness centers, airport waiting areas, hotels and resorts, rec centers, libraries, and more, indoor play areas offer a valuable service for families looking to keep their children entertained and engaged. These centers provide a safe and stimulating environment where children can play, learn and socialize, while parents can relax, catch up on work, or simply enjoy some downtime.

Indoor play centers offer an excellent business opportunity for entrepreneurs who are passionate about providing much-needed service to families in their community while generating profit. By offering a fun and safe space for families to enjoy, indoor play centers can enhance the overall experience of their host business and create a loyal customer base.

5 tips for creating the perfect family indoor play area for any size of space or type of business.

1. Plan the Size of Your Play Room Space

Determine the amount of space you have available and how you want to divide it up. Consider including separate zones for different age groups, such as a toddler area and a separate section for older kids.

A play area could be located in a small room off of your main business area, such as in a gym or community center, or in the center of a food court in a larger business like a mall or airport. Let’s look at some examples of what this might look like.

Play Rooms

Playrooms can make great use of vacant store space in a retail location.

Stand-alone Play Areas

Stand-alone play centers are self-contained. Great for hallways or wide open spaces.

Small Play Structures

A smaller fort may be all you need for the space you have available, but it will inspire big imaginations all the same.

2. Safety First for Children in Your Play Area

Once you have a space, safety should be a top priority when designing an indoor play area.

One of the most important aspects of creating a safe indoor play area is selecting the right type of flooring. Soft and cushioned flooring is ideal, as it provides a soft landing surface for children who may trip or fall during play. This type of flooring helps to reduce the impact of falls, minimizing the risk of serious injury.

In addition to selecting the right type of flooring, installing safety gates can also help to prevent accidents and injuries. Safety gates can be used to restrict access to certain areas of the play area to different age groups, such as keeping toddlers out of areas meant for older children.

Using age-appropriate toys and equipment is another important consideration when designing an indoor play area. Toys and equipment that are designed for older children may not be safe for toddlers and can increase the risk of accidents and injuries. Make sure to carefully consider the age range of the children who will be using the play area, and choose toys and equipment that are appropriate for their developmental level. We’ll get into more detail about the types of equipment in a moment.

Don’t Forget the Rules

A list of rules for parents and children to follow will also help maintain safety.

Your play area rules could include:

1. Parental Supervision: Children must be supervised by a parent or guardian at all times while in the play area.
2. Age Limits: Clearly state age limits for different areas or equipment within the play area to ensure that younger children are not playing on equipment designed for older children.
3. No Roughhousing: Running, pushing, and other rough play should be prohibited to prevent injuries to children and damage to equipment.
4. No Food or Drinks: Eating and drinking should not be allowed in the play area to prevent spills and potential choking hazards.
5. No Shoes: Shoes should be removed before entering the play area to prevent dirt and debris from being tracked in and to reduce the risk of slipping and falling.
6. No Sick Children: Children who are sick or have a contagious illness should not be allowed to use the play area to prevent the spread of germs to other children.
7. No Bullying or Harassment: Bullying or harassment of other children should not be tolerated and will result in immediate removal from the play area.
8. Clean Up: Children should be encouraged to clean up after themselves and return any toys or equipment to their proper place after use.

3. Choose the Perfect Theme for Your Indoor Play Area

Having a theme helps create a cohesive and professional look to your play area, plus it is great for branding and advertising.

Your theme can be based on fun colors. It can be an out-of-this-world space or fantasy adventure. If you’re located in a coastal mountain town or a desert city, you can use your local flora and fauna to inspire you.

For example, the Westshore Town Centre shopping mall takes its name to heart, with a selection of shoreline-themed play structures including a climbable soft play bear catching a salmon, a whale tail slide, a lighthouse with a wheel that spins the light, plus so much more. This centerpiece play area reflects the brand of the mall along with the local landmarks guests are familiar with.

4. Select a Variety of Age-Appropriate Activities for Your Play Area

Select activities that are suitable for the ages of the children who will be using the play area. For example, a toddler area could include soft play mats, low-height slides, and ride-on toys, while an older kids’ zone could include climbing walls, ball pits, and interactive video games.

Hands-on Play Options

Hands-on play is great for younger kids as it helps develop fine and gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness, and social skills as children interact with others. Hands-on play options could include Keebee playboards, sensory tables like bead maze tables or magnetic activity tables, large puzzles, building blocks, and coloring areas with markers and crayons.

Interactive play inspires imagination!

Soft Play Climbable Sculptures

“Soft play” sculptures are typically made from high-density foam that is covered with a durable, waterproof vinyl material. This makes them safe for children to crawl on, climb over, and play with, while also being easy to clean and maintain.

Soft play sculptures come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including characters, slides, tunnels, vehicles, and more. They can be customized to fit any theme or color scheme, making them a popular choice for indoor play areas, daycare centers, and other children’s facilities.

Because soft play sculptures are soft and squishy, they are less likely to cause injury than traditional play equipment made from hard materials like metal or plastic. They can also be used to create obstacle courses and other interactive play experiences that promote physical activity and imaginative play.

Slides

Slides are a popular and fun form of active play for children of all ages, and even adults can enjoy them. Sliding down a slide can provide a sense of thrill and excitement, as well as help to develop physical skills such as balance, coordination, and gross motor skills. And they’re just plain fun!

Ball Pits

Playing in a ball pit provides a tactile and sensory-rich experience, which can be beneficial for children with sensory processing difficulties. The feeling of sinking into a pit filled with soft, squishy balls can be calming and regulating. Let’s not forget that a ball pit is simply a fun and enjoyable experience for children. It can provide a break from structured activities and offer a chance to dive in and laugh to their heart’s content.

Climbing Structures and Ropes

If your facility has the capability and space to incorporate climbing structures, tunnels, and rope courses, these can offer an exciting and engaging way for children to develop essential gross motor skills such as coordination, balance, and strength. Not only do climbing structures provide a safe environment for children to take risks and explore their limits, but they also foster the development of confidence and self-esteem as they navigate through the structures under supervision.

Video Games

While some parents may go to play areas to avoid digital stimulation, adding video games to an indoor play area for children can provide a number of benefits and can engage kids of different ages.

As technology continues to play an increasingly important role in daily life, offering video games in a play area can provide children with a chance to become familiar with and comfortable using technology in a safe and supervised setting. Many video games require players to use hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills, which can help develop these skills in children.

Offering video games alongside other play options like climbing structures, ball pits, and sports activities can provide a generous range of play activities for children and keep them entertained for longer periods.

If you want the best of both worlds, a great alternative is floor-projected video games. These games encourage active participation by inviting children to jump and stomp on animated bugs, balls, and lily pads that are projected onto the floor.

TVs and Theaters

While adding a TV to a play area can provide entertainment for children, it may not offer the same developmental benefits as active play options. However, it could be a viable addition to a play area depending on the needs of the business and the interests of the children. If children are tired from play but not ready to leave yet, it provides a quiet alternative for those taking a break.

Photo Op Characters and Backdrops

Parents are all about capturing fun and special moments with their children as they play. Providing the perfect photo opportunity for them is a bonus for parents and an even bigger bonus for your social media.

Parents who take and share photos of a fun day at your play park are creating valuable user-generated content that helps promote your fun services. Include your name, your logo, or even encourage the use of a hashtag to make the best use of this content.

5. Consider These Essential Additions to Enhance Your Indoor Play Area

Add Signs for Wayfinding and Instructions

An important part of any play area is letting people know you have it, where to find it, and how to use it (like the rules sign mentioned earlier). Signs can come in a variety of shapes and styles, from 2D to 3D.

Signs can also include your logo, hours of operation, and other useful information, like where the bathroom is located.

Keep it All Clean with a Shoe Rack

Adding a shoe rack outside your children’s play area can have several benefits:

1. Keeping the play area clean: Children can bring dirt, mud, or other debris on their shoes when they enter the play area. By having a shoe rack outside the play area, you can encourage them to take off their shoes and leave them outside, which can help keep the play area clean and safe for children.
2. Preventing slips and falls: Wet or muddy shoes can make the floor slippery, which can increase the risk of slips and falls. By leaving shoes outside, you can prevent these accidents from happening and keep your children safe.
3. Encouraging organization: A shoe rack outside the play area can encourage children to take responsibility for their belongings and keep them organized. It can also make it easier for them to find their shoes when they need them.

Provide Comfortable Seating for Parents

Make sure to include comfortable seating for parents or caregivers to relax while the children play. Consider adding tables and chairs for snacks or drinks. If food is not allowed near the play area, consider adding a seating area nearby where the play area can still be observed.

Providing seating areas can create a social atmosphere for parents and caregivers to interact with one another. This can lead to new friendships and a sense of community.

Plan for Stroller Parking

Families with children of all ages will want to come to your play area. Make it as convenient as possible for them by providing a space for them to store their bulky strollers.

Providing a designated space for stroller storage can help eliminate any potential hazards or clutter that may disrupt the play area. Having a safe and easily accessible place to store strollers also makes it more convenient for families with young children, as they won’t have to worry about maneuvering a bulky stroller through a crowded play area.

Follow This Guide to Create the Perfect Indoor Family Play Area

The benefits these play areas can offer parents and kids alike make them invaluable. Now that you have this information in mind, why not consider creating one at your own location? With this list you should be on your way to making an amazing play area for children in any business or location. So don’t hesitate, let the kids go play!

Want more resources related to this topic?

The Secret to Attracting Young Families to Your Shopping Center

Playful Photo Op Inspiration

Play Areas & Kids Clubs

Don’t know where to start with creating your indoor playground? One of our Creative Consultants would love to help. Contact Imagination Design Studios (IDS) to get started transforming your facility from a mundane to a magical guest experience.