Are Slip N Slides okay-or super dangerous??

[jackaroosmom]

Somehow, I grew up without ever experiencing a Slip N Slide! I have heard that kids can get very hurt on them, but then I have also heard they are tons of fun and safe.

What are your experiences with this? I was thinking of getting one for my ds birthday party and it would be on a flat, level grass area. I would supervise the whole time. I will have a group of 6 kids ranging in age from 3-10. It seems like there is less potential for kids getting hurt if I get the single rider variety.

[bandgeek]

I'm not comfortable with them. My boyfriend in high school had a 3 inch long and 3/4 inch wide scar on his chest from when he went down a slip and slide when he was a kid. Apparently, there was something sharp in the yard and it got him pretty good.

[North_Of_60]

We loved ours as kids, and I'll probably get one for DD. There is an element of caution to take, though. For example, make SURE there is nothing underneath it. Walk through the grass and really look. And sure it's on a level surface (even though we put ours on a hill and then rolled down the grass when the plastic ended.. how we survived to be adults is amazing : ).

There are kinds now that inflate so there is a bit of a cushion, instead of just the plastic on the grass. That's probably the kinds I'd use.

And no adding shampoo or oil to make it slipperier. I swear, the fact that I made it through adolescence with all my limbs in tact just amazes me.

[Eclipse95]

I loved my slip and slide as a kid, and my kids love our slip and slide (although we seem to go through them pretty quickly). I wouldn't feel comfortable having one at a birthday party though, just because there is such a potential for injury to someone else's children and because kids can egg each other on to the point of danger. I know I can ask my children to act a certain way on it and they respect that (mostly ). However, I don't always know how other people's children are going to react to my instructions. In the same vein, we have a trampoline with a net, but don't allow my children's friends to jump on it when they visit because of the risk of injury. I would find a really cool sprinkler or something like that.

[crbyard]

Ditto on the don't use them at parties. My cousin's daughter and five of her classmates just had a very life-threatening bout of E-Coli infection from a slip-n-slide party. One of the kids was infected and didn't know it. His fecal matter got on the slide (unkown by anyone at the time) and all the kids who slid picked up the bug. Really scary stuff. I also have many injuries from our childhood slip-n-slide, but I can't say that I didn't have just as much fun! I'd say, just use caution and always be there to supervise.

[artgoddess]

Originally Posted by crbyard

Ditto on the don't use them at parties. My cousin's daughter and five of her classmates just had a very life-threatening bout of E-Coli infection from a slip-n-slide party. One of the kids was infected and didn't know it. His fecal matter got on the slide (unkown by anyone at the time) and all the kids who slid picked up the bug. Really scary stuff. I also have many injuries from our childhood slip-n-slide, but I can't say that I didn't have just as much fun! I'd say, just use caution and always be there to supervise.

ewwww! That creeps me out.

A friend of ours in our playgroup has one. and the kids enjoy it. But I can see the potential for disaster. Our kids are all 3 years old and all about "taking turns" so they go one at a time, and the think is on a soft grassy area. Plus there are 6 kids and 6 parents supervising at the same time so it makes it a little easier to ward off any potential crashing into one another.

[Past_VNE]

I'm of no help on this thread....but dang, it brings back great memories!!

[Thalia the Muse]

My daughter just got one as a birthday present from her grandparents! With this one you can use an inflatable "boogie board" type contraction, which should make it a little easier on her poor boney little bod.

It looks like a ton of fun.

[jackaroosmom]

I saw the inflatable boogie board to go with the slip n slide. Has anyone had experience with those?

I am still on the fence, especially freaked about fecal matter: but I feel pretty confident that the group of kids we will have can be careful with each other and go one at a time.

Anyone get injured from playing "correctly", no slippery additives, or sharp hidden objects?

[bdavis337]

I think the fecal matter thing would have been a problem at a pool party too, so this isn't much different, really.

My son's daycamp has slip-n-slide day, and they use it in small groups, I think 8-10 kids at once for about 30 minutes. I loved them as a kid, and I think if you pay attention and do everything you can to avoid injury (check for sharp stuff before you put it down, supervise and require appropriate behavior, etc) then they're just fine.

[BethSLP]

Okay, here's what I've heard regarding slip n slide injury. (I know this is about to sound really ridiculous, but I'm gonna give this description a go).

I heard somewhere that it is important that only little kids go on slip n slides and not older heavier adults. Apparently, if someone who weighs more goes on it, they go faster. I'm not a physics person, but I guess the more weight going forward the more impact??? When a heavier adult or older child goes fast on it, and then abruptly stops at the end they can wrench their neck and get a neck injury.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml93/93076.html

That kinda skeeved me out, as I don't know how big is too big. And it also made me sad because I LOVED LOVED LOVED slip n slide as a kid. I am definetly too heavy to ever give it a go now. My slippin and slidin days are OVER

I mentioned getting one for DD when she's older but DH nixed it because he doesn't want to ruin his yard with a muddy river of water. HAHAHA. I'm a worry wart so I don't need a neck breaker to freak out over anyhow.

XOXO
B

[North_Of_60]

Originally Posted by bdavis337

I think the fecal matter thing would have been a problem at a pool party too, so this isn't much different, really.

I agree. It's unfortunate that it happened *on* a slip'n slide, but that could have happened with the same kid dunking his unwashed hands into the vegetable dip or something, so I can't really blame the slip'n slide for that.

[Tanibani]

I grew up in Queens. I never tried the Slip-and-slide as a kid.

I know live in a 'burb across the street from a park. I don't have a firm answer to your question, but I'll tell you what I have seen.

My neighbor up the cul-de-sac has an annual Slip-n-Slide birthday party for their 8 year old. DS crashed it 2 years ago and then was invited last year.
There was a small hill, but the parents created a MONSTER slip and slide. 6-12 year olds were using it. Most were having fun. Most went down head-first. (No wonder there are reports of paralysis.) Many went by semi-fast. Some got hurt because of the PLASTIC SIDE SPIKES on the sides used to hold the sides down.

Now, I've seen a much smaller version of a slip-and-slide at my son's Preschool Co-op (used by 4-6 year olds at the time, slowpokes basically ) The plastic tarp (black, probably from the hardware store, self-made, same as the birthday party above) was VERY WIDE which was smart because the kid could sit and ride slowly down, and if he went sideways, there was still room on the plastic.

They used a small hill. They also used a LITTLE TYKES mini-slide to start it going down. Totally fine and the kids loved it. Nobody got hurt.

I could forward you a picture of that 2nd experience.

[hipumpkins]

Watch out for those tree roots, too. Ouch those hurt but we kept on slding anyway.

[Nature]

We were too poor for a slip and slide when I was a kid. So we made our own. Some sheets of big plastic, held up by logs under it to keep the plastic down and the water in. We put it on a big hill, and it made a pool at the end with those helpful logs. We kept the hose on and had a blast. Probably totally unsafe, but hey.. no one ever got hurt and it was way more fun that the real slip and slide.

[North_Of_60]

Originally Posted by Nature

We were too poor for a slip and slide when I was a kid. So we made our own. Some sheets of big plastic, held up by logs under it to keep the plastic down and the water in. We put it on a big hill, and it made a pool at the end with those helpful logs. We kept the hose on and had a blast. Probably totally unsafe, but hey.. no one ever got hurt and it was way more fun that the real slip and slide.

Sounds like the slip'n slides we made as a kid - kitchen trash bags taped together, and when the seems broke you got nasty grass burns.

Seriously, I'm surprised we made it to adult hood.

My neighbors had an above ground pool with a slide, and we used to put shampoo on it to make us go down faster, but when you went around the curve (it was a spiral slide) you almost flipped over the edge you were going so fast.

They also had a trampoline which we used to jump on and into the pool. Same thing - shampoo to make it slippery. One neighbor girl broke her arm. And me? I just crashed into the side of the pool and collapsed it, taking our fences out (our yards shared a fence).

[Viriditas]

Originally Posted by jackaroosmom

Anyone get injured from playing "correctly", no slippery additives, or sharp hidden objects?

When I was about 8 I took a run at a slip-and-slide, ran too far, slipped and took a really quick and severe spread eagle, and broke my hymen. I was visiting my dad at the time, who was so embarrassed I was bleeding between my legs that he just kind of ignored me.: I had no idea what had happened and I was really scared.

Dh also has a slip-and-slide story. He tripped on the edge of one and fell flat on his front. It was the first time he had the wind knocked out of him. He says he felt like he would never breathe again.

These were both under adult supervision.

[ThreeBeans]

I broke my nose on one when I was 8.

I still think they're wicked fun and would let my kids use one, properly supervised of course :