Much of our nostalgia lingers on sunny days at the pool, splashing, sliding and cannonballing before a sweet treat back with Mom. You might’ve grown up and put those places in the past. But those places still very much exist around Colorado’s biggest cities. And if you’ve got kids of your own now, it’s time to go make some new memories.

Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park: You know the theme park, impossible to miss, with those rollercoasters and thrilling towers as central to Denver’s skyline as 16th Street. But do you know the water park? Your ticket to the theme park includes access to the wet-and-wild attractions. They include multiple open-air and enclosed slides dropping more than 60 feet.

Great Wolf Lodge: Colorado Springs families rejoiced with the 2017 opening of the city’s first indoor water park. Even better news: They don’t need an overnight reservation at the hotel to enjoy. Day passes are available for the fun zone consisting of a splashy, four-story “treehouse,” a wave pool, a tube ride and the Howlin’ Tornado — a swirling, six-story plunge.

Water World: This is the undisputed king of aquatic play in the state, a vast and varied expanse north of downtown Denver calling to residents and tourists alike. Groups set up base in cabanas and bungalows and only attempt to experience all of the 50-plus attractions here. Those include plunges, “toilet bowls,” wave pools, tubing waterways and interactive rides.

Pirates Cove Water Park: Pirates Cove claims the tower atop its three slides is the highest point in Englewood. It might represent the park’s high importance to the Denver suburb. Local kids learn to swim here, the first of many more memories to come. They also slide, float the lazy river and eagerly await the dump from the 750-gallon bucket.

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Gaylord Rockies Resort: Make it a staycation at the resort close to Denver International Airport. Or start the vacation early for a night or two before you fly out. The kids will keep busy with the pools, slides and lazy river making up Arapahoe Springs Water Park, while the adults can kick back in a shaded, pool-side cabana, complete with bar service.

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The Splash at Fossil Trace: This Golden complex promises “features and attractions for all ages, from 1-100.” The little ones might go for the sandbox, billed as the biggest in Jefferson County. Adults might prefer the eight-lane lap pool. Both kids and kids at heart will appreciate the two slides, the highest at 180 feet, and also the diving board.

Brighton Oasis Family Aquatic Park: It lives up to its name — a fun-filled oasis breaking the plains northeast of Denver. This is a gathering place for families, where the kids hopefully walk rather than run to the twisting, turning slides, splash pads and pools. There’s special times for grown-ups too: They come for 21-and-up nights of live music, food and booze.