2nd Annual Giant Slip and Slide

For years we debated over what kind of water fun to include on our property. A pool? Nope. With so many little ones running around, we would constantly and justifiably be worried about their curiosity.

Install a splash-pad-sprinkler-park type thing? Kind of pricey and not much fun for our older kids.

Go pick up a slip n' slide from Target? Meh.

DIY our own GIANT slip and slide? Now we're talking!

So here's our supply list:

One mondo roll of black plastic. (Pint-sized helpers are a definite plus.)

Something to hold the plastic in place. 

In the past we've had issues with the plastic tearing away from the stakes. Reinforcing the sides with Duct Tape and installing grommets didn't do much to solve the problem, either.

But combining Duct Tape, grommets, and stakes with the weight of water-filled baby pools put us in business.

We placed three blow-up baby pools filled with water at the top of the slide. Spacing them evenly apart left two lanes for sliders to start running. The heavy pools of water not only helped anchor the plastic in place, but also covered up several stakes, eliminating last year's tripping hazard.

Water. Water. Water.

Oh, and more water. This is when I am super thankful for a well.

We connected these thingy-ma-bobs on the end of each of two hoses, then duct-taped each hose to a wooden stake. Placing a jimmied sprinkler-stake near the top on each side of the slide gave us plenty of water flow. 

I know. Black plastic and Duct tape. Could our yard get any classier???

A Buffer. (Optional)

You've seen those barbed-wire fences surrounding prison yards? We have our own version. Our property is guarded by a near-impenetrable blackberry barrier. Nasty thorns, I tell you. 

We needed a buffer to keep kids from sliding right into the barbed-wire blackberry thorns.

Unfortunately, we didn't have time to fill the buffer pools ALL THE WAY UP with water before our last party, so they got pushed closer and closer to the blackberries with the impact of each slider.

Lesson learned.

Biodegradable soap.

It's not an absolute must, but it ups the slip factor by A LOT. Plus, the kids end up squeaky clean.

Kids.

We seem to have a pretty stable supply of these.

So...

Bigger and Better in 2014???