Anything fun can quickly become very not fun if misused; playgrounds are fun, but if you run around on the wood chips without shoes, you’re sure to get splinters on the bottom of your feet (decidedly not fun). The same idea can be applied to an indoor playground, aka the StairSlide! Follow these setup and sliding tips to get the most from your Stairslide:
1. Reposition the StairSlide after each use. Did you stick the landing on the first try? Make sure nothing wiggled out of place to recreate your fantastic performance.
2. Have at least one foot of landing area for each stair covered by the StairSlide. The wall adjacent to your stairs will thank you.
3. Stack and store the slides when not in use. You know the heart attack you get when you miss a step? Now, imagine if the heart attack is followed by your feet slipping out from under you because you stepped on a slide. Scary, right?
4. Do not use near or under stair railings. No one likes a bonked head or a goose egg that doesn’t result in a cute baby goose. (fig. 1)
5. Use in a seated position. There’s a time and place for acrobatics; don’t try any new moves while you and the ground are moving at different speeds.
6. Bend your knees and land on your feet. If you drop a stick, it falls flat. If you drop a bendy spring, it bounces back as if nothing happened.
7. Use with adult supervision. Someone needs to witness (and maybe time) how quickly you slide down the stairs. (fig. 2)
8. Do not slide down headfirst. It takes expertise to do a headstand safely, while most people over the age of one can easily execute a foot stand. Make sure you land in a foot stand.
9. Do not use if you exceed 155 lbs Unfortunately, this means your sliding days are behind you. To quote an unnamed source, “I lead others to a treasure I cannot possess.”
10. No more than one person should be on the StairSlide at a time. Sharing is caring, but learning how to take turns is also important.