Inflatable pools boom in popularity as Metro Detroit public pools remain closed

CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Water parks and public pools are expected to remain closed this summer, so what are families supposed to do to keep busy during those sweltering summer days?

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May parents have decided to buy an inflatable pool, but it can be difficult to find one.

Kelly Nilson is a Clinton Township has three sons, ages 3, 5 and 11. She knows she has to get them out of the house.

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“My boys are extremely active, they have fallen towards the Fornite," Nilson said. "That is all they want to do now. They are ball players, but if it is raining out, they are stuck.”

She also knows that her local splash pad is closed. Even pools at condos aren’t opening, so she’s doing what many are doing: setting up a slip-and-slide in the backyard.

But there is a problem with the slip-and-slide.

“They’re ripping," Nilson said. "Because he’s going down them so fast. Now you can’t find them.”

Where toilet paper has made a triumphant comeback, it seems backyard outdoor water inflatables are being bought up.

Shelves at local stores like Target and Meijer are picked over -- even backyard sprinklers are hard to come by.

Unfortunately, the inflatable items don’t last very long and that has made them difficult to find and raising the prices at the same time.


About the Authors:

Local 4 Defender Shawn Ley is an Emmy award-winning journalist who has been with Local 4 News for more than a decade.

Dane is a producer and media enthusiast. He previously worked freelance video production and writing jobs in Michigan, Georgia and Massachusetts. Dane graduated from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.