Say, like SW ’s own Matt Driscoll, you don’t consider yourself a Wild Waves person. You don’t like the crowds, the huge fees, or the madness of it all. You do, however, like swimming, water slides, and other ways to live it up in the pool. More to the point, your kids like these things. What do you do? You head to Renton’s Henry Moses Aquatic Center, a city-run facility that’s a kinder, gentler, and definitely cheaper version of a water park. Fourteen bucks lets you in for a three-and-a-half-hour session ($8 if you’re a Renton resident), and a locker rental adds a mere quarter. Inside are two big pools. One is a lap pool, with many of the lanes opened for general splashing, Marco Polo games, and whatever crazy fun your kids want to get up to. The other is even bigger “leisure” pool. Here you’ll find two giant, twisting slides that you careen down on inner tubes, a lazy river, and an area engulfed by soaring, machine-made waves. It’s exciting and low-key at the same time, especially since you can repair to chaise lounges spread in ample supply in sunny and shady spots alike. Bring a picnic or buy reasonably priced food at the snack bar.

1719 S.E. Maple Valley Highway, Renton, 425-430-6780

Read all of our picks for Sports & Adventure, and explore the rest of this year’s edition of Best of Seattle.