5 Ways Sahara Sam’s is Fun for Families

My family and I were provided with complimentary admission to Sahara Sam’s, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 


If you’ve been in Southern New Jersey this winter then you know two things, that this Winter has been entirely too cold and lingering way too long. Even a few weeks into spring my preschooler is still asking, “when will it be spring”. When I saw that the weather last week, called for rain, I knew it was time to shake off the winter blues with a trip to Sahara Sam’s in West Berlin, New Jersey.

It’s always 84 degrees inside Sahara Sam’s and they have a full bar. Just take that in for a minute. That alone is reason enough for me to go but add to that water slides, a lazy river, and plenty of water play areas you have the makings of a great family outing.

5 Ways Sahara Sam’s is Fun for Families

 

Safety

While safety may not fall under everyones idea of fun, for a Mom it’s pretty high up on my list. Sahara Sam’s offers life jackets to all guests at no additional charge. During our visit it was pretty busy and there were still more than enough life jackets available. Also the life guards at Sahara Sam’s were very vigilant about safety. They were always alert, attentive and enforcing the rules, which really gives parents peace of mind.

Water Slides

From preschoolers to adults Sahara Sam’s has a water slide for everyone. My 4 year old loved the slide in the Lizard Lagoon area and I lost track of how many times him and his friends raced down the slide. But his favorite slide was the yellow slide in the Tim-Buk-Tu play area. He loved the thrill of going down the “big” slide and couldn’t wait to ride it again and again. There is also a family tube slide, a body slide and a tube slide. Height requirements for each slide vary.

Slide in Lizard Lagoon

Play Areas
The Lizard Lagoon is the perfect place for toddlers and preschoolers to play. The water is only about six inches deep and has a nice sized slide that kids can race against each other on. There is also a baby bungee, where the littlest of kids can sit in a seat, similar to a baby swing, and go in a circle while splashing their legs in the water. The staff does a great job of enforcing the 48″ height and as a parent that saves me from having to worry about my little kid.

Tim-Buk-Tu offers bigger slides than Lizard Lagoon and lots of fun ways to get wet. There are several spots where if you don’t look up you could get soaked. There are buttons to push and knobs to twist that will send water flying at you or an innocent bystander. Tim-Buk-Tu is fun for kids of all ages, and little ones will love it when accompanied by an adult.

Cleanliness
I will be the first to admit that the words indoor and water park, raised some red flags for me. Would it be musty? Sahara Sam’s is anything but musty or dirty, the water park is clean and really makes you feel like you are outside thanks to the large sky lights. The bathrooms, locker rooms and the entire park is clean.

The Congo Bongo
The Congo Bongo is Sahara Sam’s take on the lazy river, or as my son liked to call it, “the mysterious river”. The Congo Bongo lets you leisurely flow down a river,  just watch out for waterfalls that are bound to leave you soaked. The Congo Bongo was one of my favorite moments at Sahara Sam’s. My son and I shared a tube and floated down the river laughing as we got soaked.

It is moments like that one that remind me how fun it is to be a mom. And it’s days like our trip to Sahara Sam’s that memories are made, I know we will both remember laughing in the Congo Bongo and how proud he was to go down a slide on his own. These moments are what, this parenting thing is all about.  At the end of the day he told me that visiting Sahara Sam’s was “better than getting a toy”. And that for me is a total parenting win.

Sahara Sam’s is located on Route 73 in West Berlin, New Jersey. Sahara Sam’s is open year round, check out their schedule online for hours and days of operation. During the summer, the out door portion of the park is open and features additional attractions. Admission is $29,95 if purchased online, make sure to use my promo code to get $5 off your admission.