Little did I know that the Slip 'n Slide may be the most dangerous toy on the market. You see, while setting it up I thought it would be good to read the directions. Naturally my eye strayed over to the WARNINGS section. It turns out that the good old Slip 'n Slide can cause a range of injuries culminating in paralysis and death. Great - this should be fun, I thought. (Note to self: read WARNING labels on stuff BEFORE buying it and telling the kids about it.)
Anyway, I set it up and let the kids go at it. Xander was techically too young, but he was content to do a half-running sit rather than a full-fledged slide. It didn't look like that could kill him. Nick was more agressive and kept landing on his knees despite my repeated references to the directions that said he's supposed to go head first on his stomach with his arms out front. Oh well, he seemed less likely to paralyze himself going on his knees.
Eventually the thrill of cheating death wore off and the kids retired to the wading pool, which quickly filled up with dirt, sticks, and leaves. I called an end to the watersports when both kids turned blue and began shivering uncontrollably.
Improper technique
Proper technique
Chillin'
We're here to PUMP you up!
I'm cold! I can't feel my extremities!!
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2 comments:
FUN!
You know those warnings are because ONE kid did something really stupid, like set the thing up with a brick wall at the end.
At St Paul Academy summer program, they set up a HUGE plastic sheet on the hill, weight it down with tires, turn on the hose, and let kids slide down one by one!
What a great thing to do on such a hot day! I played on one as a kid and can recall the danger and thrill of the ride.
It works really good if you have a hill that you can set it up on. I recall having a Spiderman slide set up and the boys having a blast. Trouble is, the lawn gets a bit trashed, but hey, what are you raising grass or kids?
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