Slightly off topic, but I'm hoping that other parents might be able to help

[Meow]

anyway... inflatable pools? I already asked this in another section, but I figured that other parents might know what I'm talking about since many people get these for their families...... so please don't mind it being slightly off topic!!

We got a large inflatable pool for the yard, and I have some questions.

It's not huge, it's 10 feet x 6 feet, and the sides are almost 2 feet. So it's not a swimming pool, more of a lounging pool than anything.

Our yard isn't that big, so the spot we are going to use is slightly sloped- maybe a few inches lower towards one side. What's the best way to even that out? I already started just shifting some of the dirt but it's a large space to do with a small hand shovel.

Second- any tips on what to put underneath? There are some rocks/shells there (no idea why there are shells, it's a rented house and they were there when we moved in). I've been getting the bigger stuff out of the way, but if there's a faster way to fix the problem then that'd be great!

There is no drain on the bottom of it. So, do you leave the water in it or empty it every time you use it? What's the best way to do that? Or leave it and just get something to cover it when not in use? I know the little pools you just empty them easily and fill them quickly, but this is so large that it seems like it would be a huge thing to refill it every time.

Also- any suggestions on floaties/swimmies/vest things for my daughter? It's not incredibly deep, but I think she should still have something on her even though she'll never be unattended in the pool.


Any other things I should know?

[Cassie D]

You can buy sand, it's cheaper at rockeries then at the toy stores, it worked best for us and didn't cause a hard bottom that a wood base causes.

[shadowbaby4]

Well, my friend built a wooden frame and had dirt hauled in to fill it, like a giant sandbox. That was how she made sure her pool was level. For a smaller one like yours, a little bit of a slope should be fine. I think you're supposed to leave the pool filled all summer, or only empty it now and then.