Slide for your child: what do you pay attention to when purchasing?

Your child not only has the greatest fun on a slide, it is also a useful outdoor toy: he learns to develop his balance with it, among other things. And don’t forget the climbing and clambering, which your child does endlessly on such a staircase.

All that fun has to be done safely, of course. That is why it is important to pay close attention to matters such as firmness and the material when choosing a nice slide. A handy checklist:

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Safety

How heavy is the slide? A light model naturally falls over faster than a heavy boy. Some slides have a bar at the bottom over the entire length, which provides more stability.

When purchasing, check whether the stairs or ladder has a good grip and whether there is a horizontal piece at both the top and bottom. This way your child can sit well and is slowed down at the end.

In addition, according to the standard, there must be raised edges on the slides on the sides. If the slide has a CE mark, you can assume that it meets the above requirements and is safe to use.

Which by the way is not an unnecessary luxury: immediately buy a mat or rubber tile for the bottom of the slide. This way you give your child a softer landing (and you immediately protect the floor of your garden).

Material

Always check whether the material is of good quality. Are there no hooks or sharp edges that could hurt your child? And you can easily put a cloth over it, which is nice. Be assured that spit, grass, sand or a dollop of ice cream will soon remain on it.

Appearance

Green, yellow, blue or bright pink: the choice is huge when it comes to slides. Great for your kid, but you might be less than happy looking at such a brightly colored thing all day long. But hey: your child happy, you happy, they say?

In addition to all kinds of colors, there is also a choice of different types and sizes in terms of slides. Here is a handy overview by age category:

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Babies

Yes, even your baby can go down the slide with his ass. The smallest models are low and certainly not steep. It ensures that your child’s gross motor skills improve and don’t forget your baby’s self-confidence: that automatically gets a boost.

toddler

The slides, which are just a bit bigger, are perfect for your toddler. He can learn to climb and scramble and slide down the track. These models often also have a space under the sliding part, so that your child can also play hide and seek.

Toddlers and preschoolers

From toddlerhood, your child naturally starts to run and if he does it safely in the garden, he can have fun with a bigger slide: he can climb and slide until he weighs an ounce.

Some toddler and preschool slides also have fun extras, such as a connection for the garden hose. In sweltering heat it becomes a cooling water slide again.

Here you will find an overview of the best slides for your own garden.

Source: Safety.nl & Speeltuinhuis

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