You Can Book a Field Trip to World Waterpark Where the Water Slides Are the Physics Lesson
Finding a field trip that satisfies both the curriculum and the kids is rare. Waterpark Physics 101 at West Edmonton Mall's World Waterpark is one of the few that does both — a real physics worksheet, completed among 17+ waterslides, with pool time as the reward for finishing.
If your homeschool hub or co-op is planning a physics unit, here's what to know before you book it.
What the program actually covers
This isn't a "ride the slides and call it science" outing. Students work through a booklet of physics problems that use the park's slides and attractions as the real-world examples, covering:
Velocity
Acceleration
Gravitational potential energy
Kinetic energy
Force of friction
Coefficient of friction
Centripetal force
Waves: frequency, wavelength, amplitude, and velocity
That's a solid early-high-school physics unit's worth of concepts, made tangible by having kids actually feel the acceleration on a slide instead of just calculating it on paper.
Who it's actually built for
A few important details for planning purposes:
It's self-directed. There's no instructor or host walking your group through the material — this is designed as supplemental learning, not a guided lesson. Plan to have a parent or lead teacher on hand to walk through the booklet with kids as needed.
It's pitched at early-high-school level. Students should already have some grounding in these physics concepts before the visit. This works well as a capstone or review activity for a unit you've already taught, rather than a first introduction to the material.
Booklets are provided in advance. This is the detail that makes it genuinely useful for planning — you can get the worksheet ahead of time and build your pre-trip lessons around exactly what students will be asked to solve on-site.
It's booked through Group Sales, not general admission. This is a formal group booking, which means advance planning and coordination rather than a walk-up visit.
Planning tips for homeschool hubs
Book ahead and get the booklet early. Since the worksheets are provided in advance, request them as soon as you book so you can slot the concepts into your lesson plan before the trip, not scramble to explain them on-site.
Pair it with a review session. Because there's no instructor present, the trip works best as reinforcement — spend a class or two beforehand on the core concepts (velocity, acceleration, centripetal force) so kids arrive ready to apply what they know rather than learning it cold.
Budget for the full visit. At $40 per person, factor in whether your group wants pool time built into the schedule after the worksheets are done — most groups will, since the reward is the whole point.
Consider pairing ages. Because the content sits at an early-high-school level, this is a strong pick for a mixed-age homeschool group where older tweens and young teens can work through it together, with older students helping younger ones with the trickier concepts.
The details
Best for: Homeschool groups or co-ops with students at an early-high-school physics level Format: Self-directed worksheet program, no instructor included Cost: $40 per person (plus GST; prices subject to change) Where: World Waterpark, West Edmonton Mall Booking: Through Group Sales — call 780-444-5308 Learn more:wem.ca/groups/waterpark-physics-101
Planning a homeschool field trip and not sure where to start? We're building out a running list of Edmonton-area programs like this one — get in touch if you've got a favourite we should feature.
