Cool off with a Slip and Slide

I don’t know about where you are, but in Connecticut it has been very hot and humid all week.  Try and cool off today by taking a few runs down a slip and slide.  You may remember such an activity from your childhood.  It was often store bought and may have ended with a small pool or an inflatable alligator head to cruise into.  Those were always fun, but the biggest downside to them was how short they were.  If you found one that was longer than 20 feet, then you my friend were the king of the neighborhood.

On the flip side you could very easily find a hill and buy a 100 foot roll of plastic from your local hardware store.  Add water and presto, you will be sliding in no time.  I have done this in the past and have some recommendations for improved fun and safety:

• Always make sure to check for rocks before laying down the plastic, they hurt.
• Be weary of stakes holding it down, they hurt more than rocks.
• Adding a padded surface under the plastic at the top of the run will greatly cushion the impact of the take off, unless of course you dive completely over it.
• Baby shampoo provides extra speed to your runs.  Coat the plastic first and yourself as well for added speed.  Make sure you buy the ‘No More Tears’ variety of shampoo.  You will thank me for that later.

I leave you with some final videos of things I would not recommend building for your slip and slide…