Swimming lets kids experience the buoyancy formerly known only to bobbing apples and inflatable witches. Let your fledglings float with this Groupon.
$25 for Junior Lifeguard Training (Up to $50 Value)
In order to become junior lifeguards, kids ages 11–14 attend eight 45-minute lessons on topics including endurance swimming, water rescues, and basic first aid and CPR instruction. After they complete the course, participants can shadow a working lifeguard for eight hours. Lessons take place Monday–Thursday at 10 a.m. on either June 17–27 or July 8–18. Only kids who can swim a complete 50-yard lap should apply.
The Bay Water Park
At The Bay Water Park, patrons can go surfing in the Midwest. Or at least, simulate the experience. Dubbed The BayRider, the park's surfing simulator allows park visitors to try their hand at surfing or boogie boarding while standing atop a thin sheet of water, instead of a board. There's only one requirement: they must be 48+ inches tall.
There's plenty of classic water park fun to complement the simulator, too. The park boasts three pools, and one, the Leisure Pool, works like a huge, lazy river, complete with rippling waves. That's where swimsuit-clad visitors zoom down two massive, tube-shaped slides. Alternatively, there's a play pool where visitors can swim or play pick-up water basketball, and a family pool: a watery playground complete with a giant dumping bucket.