Kidwash Slip N' Slide

Due to current events, going to our local public pool was a no-go, so we had to improvise on how to cool off on the hot summer days. Then, it hit us, a Slip n' Slide would be great fun for the entire family, while also offering relief from the summer heat. So, we logged on to Amazon, searched up "Slip n' Slide," and the results were disappointing. There were about 6 results, and they all got awful reviews, broke super easily, and cost up to $150. Also, they weren't transportable and many of them were too big for the space in our backyard. So, being the household of makers that we are, we decided to address all of these problems, We made it fully customizable to your backyard, amazingly sturdy, super cheap, and fully transportable. Given all the seldom seen amenities, we think it is safe to say that this isn't your average Slip n' Slide.

Mister Jets: (we found some reasonably priced ones here, 90 will be enough for approximately 60 feet of Slip N' Slide)

10 ft tubes of 3/4 inch PVC pipe (easy to find at your local hardware store, amount varies, but a good rule of thumb is 2 additional 10-foot pipes for 10 feet of Slip n' Slide )

Plastic sheeting/tarp: (we bought a great one here, if you need your Slip N' Slide to be longer, buy another one and cut off your desired length and tape the two together)

1 PVC end cap

PVC elbow pieces (baseline 2, 2 additional ones for every overhead sprayer)

PVC T pieces (2 extra for every additional overhead sprayer)

1 3/4 inch PVC female adapter

PVC connector pieces (2 extra for every 10 feet of Slip n' Slide without an overhead sprayer)

5-foot piece of 3/4 inch PVC (1 baseline, 1 more for every additional overhead sprayer).

3-foot piece of 3/4 inch PVC (2 extra for every overhead sprayer)

pencil

drill

ratchet

yardstick/measuring tape

dawn dish detergent

PVC glue

Masking tape

a hose

a small hill

PVC is super sturdy and it won't break, it also will keep the cost down because PVC is surprisingly cheap, making it a really good building material for this project. First, take all of your PVC tubes, draw a straight line on each one, and drill holes about 2.5 feet apart on the line for the 10-foot pipes, and about 8 inches apart for all the others. Then insert your mister jets (big thanks to the Kidwash 2 for this idea, it really helped improve the quality of this project. I strongly recommend checking out their build) into each of the holes. For the 10 footers, use the blue misters (90 degrees) and for all other PVC lengths use the red ones (360 degrees), we prefer sticking with the blues and reds, but the greens work fine as well. Now you are ready to assemble the frame!

Creating the frame is an essential part of the Slip n' Slide, and it is what sets this model apart from your average store-bought Slip n' Slide. Every one of these Slip N' Slides must have; a female adapter at the beginning connecting the hose to the first ten-footer, an end cap at the end (the only piece that has to be glued on using the PVC glue), and 2 elbow pieces connected to a 5-footer to get the water to the other side. To make an overhead sprayer, attach a T piece in between two ten footers on each side, add a three-footer to it, put on an elbow piece, and attach a five-footer between. For every ten feet without an overhead sprayer, just insert a connector piece on each side. And... your frame is done! it should look something like the picture above.

Adding the tarp is a fairly easy task. Since the tarp is 10 feet wide and the Slip N' Slide is only 5 feet wide, folding it in half will get you desirable results. Secure the tarp by putting it under the frame and taping it to the surface beneath or in the spaces between the sprayers. All you have to do next is turn on the hose and you have your very own homemade Slip N' Slide right in front of you!

Awesome job!! You have just created your own homemade Slip N' Slide! Before getting on, liberally apply dawn dish detergent on your Slip N' Slide and reapply every 15-20 minutes. This will make the Slip N' Slide extra slippery so you can go extra far. But the fun doesn't end there, literally. This build can be taken down and transported to anywhere of your choosing. Just take off the tape, roll the tarp up, and take apart the PVC. One thing is for sure this super fun contraption will give you countless hours of fun.