I would like to purchase an inflatable water slide for my son who is 7 years old. I've read reviews and it seems like the people that leave them out in the sun all summer have the problems with seams coming apart and dry rotting. I do not plan on leaving it out in the sun for more than a day or two at a time and plan to take care of it so it lasts at least 3 seasons. I was wondering if there's anyone who owns one they love that would be great for a growing 7 year old and could also hold his 10 year old cousins.
Banzai cannonball splash waterslide. We bought it last summer for about $35 and we figured it was going to be junk, but it is great. I have three boys 8,6 and 4. They are far from gentle and we are going to be using it again this summer. It has held up great and even adults have used it :) They sell it at Toys R' Us.
Although this is not terribly safety conscious, 7 year old boys love it: make a waterslide on a hill in the back yard with tarps and the hose. We have been making one on the sledding hill in our backyard for the past few summers, and it has been enjoyed by kids of all ages (and adults), with no signs of wearing out. A simpler and safer idea, if you have a wave slide with a soft landing off a play structure, just run the hose down this.
I too had a large water slide ($300 from KB Toys) and my kids loved it. Unfortunately it only lasted a few years because it was almost impossible to maintain. It was too heavy to move around the yard to save the grass, couldn't completely dry it before storing for the winter, and the sun did destoy the plastic and the heavy amount of use we had pretty much ripped the plastic up so they couldn't slide anymore. I ended up tossing it after 2-3 years and was given an easy set pool which I LOVE!!! put it up once at the begining of the season and put a $20 starter kit into it and then put a chlorine tablet every day and shock treat once a week. Its so much better than the water slide.
I don't have one but I saw today that amazon.com is having a huge sale on waterslides just like you have described. They are also doing free shipping, it is time limited but you may want to check it out as it looks like a great deal!
C.
