Slides were very important to me as a child. When I visit the stadium, trying out the slides is always par for the course. The quality of the photography was outstanding. Poor mobility affected my view of the playground.
What struck my mind were the following:
- Slide height: the steeper and longer the better.
- Conclusion: the slow slider to stop was annoying. The ones who took you down and made you work on the climb are the best!
- The climbing thing: Every child knows that all slides are designed to climb and slide down. The best movies were hard to come by.
- What is slippery: Slides need to be slippery. Slow slides and pits. How the slide works in rainy weather is also important. Bonus points for each slide that is slippery when wet.
Over the years I have seen a change in pictures. Nowadays, most of the pictures are very small compared to my childhood. Sadly I think this minimizes “tragedy”. It’s the sound you make when you realize the slide is steeper, faster or longer than you expected.
One exception to this, is the slide at Broadford Primary School and Nursery. A head teacher visited a young age who really thought about extreme sports and felt that children needed more physical challenge in his early years classes. The structure is built below a height that requires planning permission.
Another reason I liked this slide is the larger format it has. There are no steps to get up. So the child must learn to climb the wall to reach the platform. So a decision must be made – climb or slide? Imagine how things work. The platform has an amazing interface. The ceiling is high enough for adults to stand on. So they can have fun there too! Now take a look below. Those are the planks to build the sand. So this ‘cover’ becomes part of the game itself.
Another noticeable difference is that the public playground now has a protective surface on top – perfect for launching yourself a little harder. Or for a more intense workout, add in somersault.
In most cases, slides are now part of the ride rather than a stand-alone feature. This is great for a game of tag or chasing each other because the slides are suddenly part of the escape routes – up or down!
At the bottom of the slide there is also a play tree. The first is the height again, depending on how the slide is made. Another aspect is that the images are spatial. At the bottom of the slide there is a hiding place, not visible to the adult.
Dark black images have become fashionable. In my day, helter skelter images were considered very attractive and glamorous. Sadly hessian bags don’t seem to be a big deal anymore. But they increase the speed at which you slide and can stop the fire when it’s hot.
Often the slides come in pairs so kids can climb down together or race each other. Co-operative sports are great fun.
Perhaps the strangest pictures I’ve seen this year were at a school in Brisbane. The material used for painting is rubber. I haven’t seen any kids using it but my interest is piqued. It reminds me of a luggage belt!
Finally, I have to announce the beautiful Highway Farm entrance that was available to the children who came to the after school club. The gate is open and the children are entering! Now that’s the right door!
All-in-all, I am sure that pictures will never go out of fashion. They may change in size, shape and height but hopefully they will remain an important part of any playground. What do you think?
(PS I blogged about the slides a few times while in Oz. Check it out Tanning All Ages Playgroundand Lighthouse Slide and Lake Macquarie Variety Playground and Slide Mountain.
This blog post first appeared in June 2015.