Talk to me about outdoor pools

[Quit4me]

Ok, so getting ready to set up a 10ft intex metal frame pool within the next couple of months.
Newbie to this so a few questions..
Do you heat your pool? If so how and how effective is it?
Which covers do you have? Do you have a solar cover and then another cover (ie debris cover) at night / when not in use to keep in the heat?
Where in the garden do you have your pool? Sunniest spot? Grass?
What do you put underneath your pool?
Do your kids use it or have you found it to be something that’s too cold / too much hassle to use and maintain.
Any other advice very gratefully received!

Dd and SiL got one last year, I think an Intex 3 x 2m.

They didn’t want it on the grass, so SiL extended the patio into what is luckily a very sunny spot.
There was a purpose made mat underneath.
The pump and heater took quite a while to come. The heater wasn’t always needed since we had the heatwave, but I’d say it’s essential to have one in the U.K. if the pool is going to be well used.

They got a dark grey cover for it IIRC - maybe not specifically solar but the dark colour absorbs heat.
Steps were another add on.
Some sort of chemicals (presumably) were added regularly to keep the water clean.

The pool was a great success with Gdcs, then 4 and 5, and was IMO invaluable for keeping up their water confidence when all the pools were closed.