Can you recommend a good toddler slide?

My mother wants to buy my boys a slide for their 2nd birthday, and I'm having trouble telling her which one to get. Does anyone have one they love and would recommend? I'm looking for something that isn't so small they'll grow out of it right away, but not so big that they'll need me to stand beside the slide all day helping them up then catching them at the bottom (ok, call me a lazy mom - but I'm looking for a way to keep them busy for a few minutes so I can sit down and rest!).

 

Little Tykes makes a bunch of good ones. We got one 2nd hand that's pretty small, but they love it so much it was worth it. I think it just depends on how comfortable they are with a bigger slide & if they'd get scared. Mine are getting addicted to slides & the other day ds had no problem going down one at the park all by himself! DD, on the other hand, wanted to go down but insisted on holding my hand.

 

My Mom got the Little Tykes Castle slide... they LOVE it and it sort of folds up (not to compactly) and goes together easy.

 

We just got this climber/slide secondhand, and the girls LOVE it! The woman I bought it from said her 4 yr old still liked it, but she was getting a whole new Rainbow giant playset and didn't have room anymore.

 

We just bought a Little Tykes Jr. slide last week it was $40 at TRU. They had the Little Tykes Big Slide for $80 but I know my boys would be jumping off the top so for us the smaller one was better, turns out I was right because after a day or two with the slide they started jumping off the top now I am always telling them "No, walk up the steps or the slide goes away!"

 

Thanks for the help, ladies - keep the advice coming!

I had been looking at the Little Tykes castle slide, but it just looks so small! I'm worried that my sons' feet would be already touching the ground when they're sitting on the top of it. Then again, they have very little experience with slides (and climbing for that matter), since we've been buried in snow all winter and haven't been to a playground in a very long time, so maybe they'd be more likely to use a small slide on their own.

 

We also have the Little Tykes Wave Climber linked by Snittens. They actually got it for their FIRST birthday :icon_eek: from our friends and were up and down it that day. It's their "little slide" now but they still play on it regularly (and they like that I don't have to catch them like I do with their "big slide").

If I were you, I'd skip the mini slide and go for something like the Wave Climber. They'll get a few more years' use out of it where the mini might be fun for the next 6-12 months.

 

DH bought this one for DS1 on his 1st birthday. So we have had it for almost 3 years. We never use it because they are always using it.

Cari

 

QUOTE(K*D*B @ Apr 13 2008, 12:40 AM) [snapback]718933[/snapback]
DH bought this one for DS1 on his 1st birthday.

We have this one too. We've had it since my oldest DD was 1.5 years old, so for 6 years and it still get LOTS of use out of it.

 

I think we're going to get this after our yard sale. It looks really fun plus the added sand table is a bonus. Not to mention the price is great.

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate....amp;item=371992

 

We also have a small Little Tykes slide that the girls loved. It was the right size for them and they'll still play on it outside even though it's way too small now. Like a pp, I didn't want something that was big enough for them to get hurt jumping off the top because they were definitely going to do that.

 

I am so glad someone started this post b/c I have been wondering the same thing....after reading everyone's posts I am thinking that the Little Tikes Wave Climber would be perfect for us....

We are only going to be in our house for 2 more years....so will this last us from now (they are almost 2) until they are almost 4 years old?

 

QUOTE(doubledownmom @ Apr 14 2008, 07:57 AM) [snapback]720427[/snapback]
I am so glad someone started this post b/c I have been wondering the same thing....after reading everyone's posts I am thinking that the Little Tikes Wave Climber would be perfect for us....

We are only going to be in our house for 2 more years....so will this last us from now (they are almost 2) until they are almost 4 years old?


I believe it says it's for ages 2-6 on the box but I can't imagine them playing on it at 6. I'm sure 4-year olds would enjoy it, though.

Also, a PP mentioned the worry about them jumping off of it and not wanting anything too high... I have jumpers. They've gradually jumped off of higher and higher things and they're currently over 3' for unassisted jumps. HOWEVER, they don't jump off of their wave climber. They do have some common sense even if it seems they don't sometimes. When we visited friends with a mini slide, they jumped off of the top of that since it was within their 3' range and sliding down apparently wasn't thrilling enough for them. HTH!