Slip and Slide

Summer ended over a month ago. Summer in school-age care is a time for swimming and water play. Because of the pandemic, this year is different. Much of the fun of Summer is on hold. Thinking back to past Summers, one activity came to mind. The slip and slide.

As a child, I loved the slip and slide. Our classic slip and slide featured a yellow plastic sheet with holes punched into the sides. We would hook up the hose and slide for hours under a fountain of water in our front yard with friends. At some point each Summer, the yellow plastic would rip. We would move on to water balloon fights and splash in round plastic pools to keep the summer fun going.

As a young educator, I wanted to share the joy of a slip and slide with the children. A classic yellow slip and slide would not stand up to the wear and tear of a school-age program. There was a large hill at my first teaching job in a public park. We used a large clear plastic painting tarp to create a durable slip and slide and recycled tires to hold the slip and slide on the ground. The children loved the new slide that featured a surface three times longer than the classic yellow slide. The width of the slide invited the children to slide together, do tricks, and experiment with new sliding techniques.

As I moved to different programs, I re-created the giant slip and slide each Summer. Something created from simple materials became a summer tradition. As educators, we sometimes forget that the simple things in life offer the most enjoyment.

In school-age care, the materials children enjoy most are simple. Legos, cardboard, paint, paper, and hot wheels are all-time favorites. Recycled materials and the opportunity to create something from scraps are still a favorite among children. In an age of technology and the internet, activities that make meaning still come from simple origins.

Invite the children in your care to enjoy simple materials and activities. Curate your offerings to the children so they can experience the joy of exploration, creation, and discovery. If you remember a simple, joyful activity from childhood, share it with the children. We have an opportunity as educators to pass our joy to others. We make the world a better place when we invite children to experience something simple, joyful, and fun like a slip and slide in the Summer.