Here is the scene at our house since we opened the box for this slide.My daughter climbs it, slides down while saying "weeeee", lands perfectly on her feet, runs around to the steps, and starts all over again until she is too tired to continue... which can go on for hours.
We got this slide for her 2nd birthday.Up until we got this we got hints that she wanted a slide when she started making ghetto slides out of cardboard boxes.After doing a bit of research we settled on this slide for a few difference reasons.
1.Its big!She can grow and grow but this slide should last her for years.
2.Its solid Out of all the reviews I could find, this slide was the most sturdy and solid of the bunch.It never feels like its going to tip over, we weighted down the base with sand as well, and the rail on the slide keeps my little princess safe.
3.Angle of the slide Most people might not think about this but the angle at which the child slides down is important.The other similar slides we looked at had a slide that almost was a straight shoot down.This is rough on a little childs legs and gives them a huge force of impact.However this slide has a little cruve at the end which softens the impact and pushes them away from the slide.This was the tipping point for us in our decision!!!
Other nice features but not deciding factors was how you can pull the slide together to put it away and the steps have a nice grip on them for bare feet children.
The only con we have so far is that it was expensive but no more than the others in this class or similar toys.We are concerned about how much bending the plastic will do in prolonged direct sunlight but so far have had no issue there... just a watch and see deal.
In any event my daughter loves this slide and we do too.I highly recomend this to anyone for their kids!
My brother has had this Little Tikes EasyStore Large Slide for quite a few years now, with his 3 daughters using it all summer long. It has held up very well and all his girls still love it. (Ages are 7, 4, and 2.) In the summer months, they will put the end of the slide in a little pool for some water fun. The slide is very stable and large enough for even their very tall 7 year old.
While I really liked this slide, I had been comparing it to the Step2 Naturally Playful Folding Slide and trying to see which was better based on reviews. Very difficult as they are very much the same.
I ended up ordering the Step2 version and I'm very happy with it. There are a few differences that I have noticed.
Little Tikes stability wings at the bottom of the stairs is somewhat flat, but enough for little ones to trip when not paying attention racing to the stairs. The Step2 version has angled wings that have to be put together with the staircase with a couple of screws it says to screw them in with a screwdriver, but I was unable to do this. The wings slide on and stay there unless you lift up the slide to move it, but I'll leave putting the screws in to my mechanically inclined husband so I don't wreck it.
Little Tikes steps seemed to give a little more than my Step2 slide. This may be due to the fact that my brother's Little Tikes version is a few years old and my Step2 is brand new, I'm not sure.
Little Tikes top of the stairs handle is a little shorter than the Step2 version, but not a big deal.
Little Tikes slide has a slight curve/bump in the slide halfway down, while the Step2 version has the curve/bump right at the beginning.
Little Tikes end of the slide has a slight lift, but my nieces and daughter would still fall forward on a fast slide down. The Step2 version has a lot more lift and my 2.5 year old daughter really appreciates it and doesn't fall forward nearly as much.
The Little Tikes dark brown and burgundy is nice as is the Step2's medium brown and grass green. I think I like the brown and green better, but that's just my opinion.
The Little Tikes version seems to be a little lighter in weight than the Step2 Naturally Playful one. I had a harder time lugging the Step2 around than I did the Little Tikes.
They both fold easily and can store on the wall in the garage when not in use which is awesome. Being able to store it somewhere out of the way will definitely keep the slide in great condition for years!
Overall, both great slides and lots of fun. The slide length for both is about 58 inches long. They both stand about 40 inches high (top of handrail to the ground).
Buy Step2 Naturally Playful Big Folding Slide Now
I had been eyeing this for a while and finally found a great deal on amazonIt was between this slide and the Little Tikes Easystore Large Slide. After reading reviews regarding the difficulty assembling the Little Tikes Slide, ths seemed the easy choice. So far no complaints! We bought it for indoor use, so the kids can exert some energy during the months when its too cold or too hot to play outdoors.
Here are some of the perks:
1. Large enough to actually be fun.
2. Folds up for storage
3. NO ASSEMBLY REQUIRED!
Here are some of the cons:
1. Large
2. Folds up for storage
3. Our 3 1/2 yr old likes to hang on the plastic black bar you see in the picture. I'm concerned it might break.
You get the good with the bad on this purchase. Fortunately, the bad really isn't so bad. It IS large, and since I bought it for indoor use we really have to open up a space in the room when we bring it out. If your plan is to use it outside then this won't be an issue for you.
I'd say its about 5'5 when folded up. It fold ups easy and narrow. It really is meant to be hung when folded, because its doesn't stay together. There aren't any safety clips or anything. We have yet to hang it, so when its folded up against the wall we have to make sure its leaning or wedged in between something big so it won't tip over.
I've read some complaints about the drop at the end of the slide. Yea, there is one, but I think it depends on the child how they handle it. My 1 1/2 year old doesn't seem bothered by it. You can always slip a little pillow underneath to help.
Our only safety concern was the ladder, and this was when we first bought it 8 months ago. Our baby wasn't yet a year and so we'd have to watch her carefully when she climbed up. All in all, this has been one of our better large toy purchases. I'm pleasantly surprised at how much use our kids have gotten out of it!
Read Best Reviews of Step2 Naturally Playful Big Folding Slide Here
The slide itself works just fine. There is literally only one step (repeated on each side) to set up the slide. This step entails screwing the triangular fixtures on the base of the ladder. Neither of my triangles had predrilled holes which was somewhat of a nuisance to fix. I don't want to pay almostfor an imperfect unit.
EDIT (5/15/10): After waiting on the phone for about 20 minutes, I spoke with a customer service representative that told me that as of 2/10, they stopped pre-drilling holes due to the liability created when/if a child eats the shavings produced by the drill. I ended up taking a nail with a diameter less than the provided screws and tapped it through the thin layer of plastic to create holes. The screws then went on without a problem. Neither I nor the customer service representative could figure out why this wouldn't be pointed out in the manual. Hopefully they will change it soon.
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We purchased this slide for our 3 year old daughters birthday. The weather here can be really unpredictable and the winters are cold and snow filled so we wanted to give our daughter a place to play when the weather was to nasty to be outside and the slide is her favorite part of the playground. The slide was extremely easy to set up and only required a few screws to hold the stabilizing feet in place. In less then 5 minutes it was set up and my daughter was happily sliding. The slide is very sturdy and doesn't wobble at all. We've had the slide for a couple of months and she's still playing on it every day. This slide is big enough that my daughter still has several more good years of play before she out grows it. We've had several Step2 products over the years (I have an 8 year old too) and I've yet to be disappointed in their products. If your kiddo loves to slide then buying this slide will be money well spent.
Update to review: It's been several years now and this slide is still going strong. We decided to keep it indoors to give my daughter something to play on when the weather is bad. We have a park very close to our house that we use on nice days. My daughters almost 6 and still plays on it a lot. She's kind of on the petite size, she only weighs 36 pounds.
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My daughter loves this toy and is 13 months old.Buy it elsewhere though.It is about $6 in stores and I paid $12 on this site because I never bothered to check the store first.My mistake and I won't make it again.But definetly a great toy.
