For hours of summer fun in the sun making splendid memories, invest in an inflatable water slide for your children. Here are some tips on how to pick a suitable slide, and how to maintain it well, along with your yard.
One of the best Christmas presents we’ve bought the kids is our inflatable water slide.
It’s been the gift that keeps giving every summer and turns our backyard into a water park.
We’ve owned our inflatable water slide for five years and it comes out each summer, although this summer may be the last time we use it, as next year we will have a pool.
But even if you own a pool, an inflatable water slide is easier for little kids to wade in. It also saves having to jump into the pool with the kids when they can’t yet swim.
However, they are not a ‘leave and the let the kids have fun’ activity. Parental supervision is a must. We make an afternoon of it with a cheese platter and beverage in hand while we watch the kids splash each other and go down the slide.
As we’ve owned one for many years, here are some tips to ensure it lasts longer than the warranty of 12 months and remains a safe and fun space for the kids to enjoy.
Safety first for inflatable water slides
One child a year drowns in a portable pool, so safety is important. Check with your local council on what the laws state for enclosures around a portable pool. In Queensland, if a portable pool can fill up to 30cm high or 2000Lt, it requires a fence.
Inflatable water slides will fill to approximately less than 10cm (I’ve measured with a measuring tape!) as the spray descends down the slide and fills the bottom base. Generally, it’s less than ankle-deep and it’s a gradual fill.
With that said, parental supervision is a must. When you purchase your inflatable slide, it will have warnings on how it can be used safely.
Hose safety
Ensure the hose tap with which you fill your inflatable slide has a vacuum breaker. This prevents the possible backflow of water your kids wade in from siphoning back into the drinking water supply. It is highly unlikely that this will happen, but all hose taps should have a vacuum breaker valve.
Allow the slide to dry before deflating
Once the kids have had fun (or start to get cold!), turn off the water and disconnect the hose. Empty the base by standing on the inflated border to allow the water out. As we have a sloping yard, the water drains into our garden.
When all the water is drained, keep the compressor going for half an hour to keep it inflated so it air-dries, before packing away. This prevents mould growth. Once dry, fold it and store it back into the box ready to use for the next time.
It will kill your grass underneath
Using the inflatable water slide multiple afternoons in a row will make your grass brown underneath. Constant afternoon use can potentially kill your grass. Buffer time between use can prevent the grass from getting destroyed.
Where to get an inflatable water slide
We got our inflatable water slide from Target for $300; they hover around this price up to $800 or more, and are available online from various stores.
- Crocodile Water Park $699
- Windsor Slide $569.05 (on sale)
- Surrey Slide and Splash $619
- Swing, Slide n Climb Jumping Castle Splash Centre $399
- Atlantis Slide and Splash $679
- Happy Hop Larger Water Slide $599
- Happy Hop Blue Lagoon Water Slide $399
Check measurements prior to purchasing to ensure it will fit in your yard before purchasing. Also, ensure you have a water point (hose tap), and electrical outlet for the compressor.
Always follow the safety instructions and have rules around how the kids go down the slide. Some of ours are not to go head first — feet first all the time. And one child down the slide at a time — no tandem slides. No one wants to be going to the hospital with broken bones this Christmas!
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Disclosure: There are affiliate links on this post. Should you choose to purchase an item, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Disclaimer: The information is intended to be of a general nature only. I do not accept any legal responsibility for any loss incurred as a result of reliance upon it — please make your own decisions and enquiries. Always check local laws when installing any type of water play structure in the backyard.
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Originally published at The Plumbette. Photo by Jeremiah Lawrence on Unsplash.
About the Author: Rebecca Senyard
