Dimensions of a Play Slide

A simple slide, the classic backyard amusement, can offer children of all ages hours of entertainment. Depending on a child’s age and the slide’s design, dimensions can vary widely. Some slides attach to playground swing sets; lightweight, smaller freestanding models suit younger children ideally. When selecting a slide, keep in mind the size and weight of your growing children and how long you hope to use the slide in the future. In addition, take stock of the location where you will install the slide, keeping it clear of tree branches and other obstacles.

Most slides are measured by their total length along the diagonal. You can easily estimate the approximate length and height along the horizontal and vertical axes once you know the angle between the slide and the ground. For safety purposes, it’s advisable to position your slide at no greater than 30 degrees, with no point along the slide ascending to over 50 degrees. Little Tikes’ Endless Adventures Easy Store Large Slide measures 5 feet 12. It folds up, measuring 66 inches long, 38 inches wide and 38 inches high when stored. Endless Adventures Easy Store Jr. Slide also folds up to measure just 36 1/2 inches in length, 19 inches in height and 18 1/2 inches in width 12.

Larger Slides

Slides designed for supervised youngsters and older children may be made from metal or plastic, but instead of folding away, they attach to sturdy fixed platforms or jungle gyms. A 10-foot slide might attach to a 5-foot-high platform, extending just over 8 1/2 feet horizontally. Detailed Play Systems offers both 9- and 10-foot slides designed to mount at this height, offering slightly higher and lower pitches. Dazadi’s Swing-N-Slide Giant Cool Green Wave Slide measures 9 ½ feet in length and mounts to a 5- to 5 1/5-foot-high platform. The slide measures 20 inches across and 11 inches deep.

Unusual Slides

Instead of traditional straight slides, many playgrounds feature whimsical spiral shapes. The Timber-Bilt Turbo Tube Slide mounts to a platform 7 ½ feet high. Assembled, it measures 54 ½ inches deep, 22 inches high and 33 inches wide. For a slide with a twist, the Sidewinder Slide features a 90-degree turn and UV-treated polyurethane construction. It mounts to platforms between 3 ½ and 5 ½ feet high and measures just under 6 feet in length. The slide is 24 inches across and 17 inches deep.