Playground Children's Slide

Playgrounds are indoor or outdoor areas that are designed for children to play. Many of these play areas are fitted with playground equipment such as swing sets, jungle gyms, monkey bars, or merry-go-rounds.  One of the most common things seen in a playground, however, is a slide. 

While the actual invention of the playground slide is somewhat unclear, it is thought that the slide was invented around the 1900s. Playgrounds began in Germany as a way to give children instructional play areas to teach the correct way to play. In 1907, Theodore Roosevelt recognized the need for playgrounds due to street dangers and the lack of large yards and space for kids. 

Playground slides can be seen both outside and indoors, for example, in parks, schools, malls, or fast food restaurants. They can be made of metal or plastic and can take on almost any shape imaginable. Many are twisted or spiral, while conventional slides remain straight.  A covering over the slide is optional, but it helps it stay dry in inclement weather and provides more privacy for the person on the slide. Most slides have a ladder connected to the back to enable the user to climb up to reach the top of the slide. The user then sits down and pushes off to gain momentum to slide down the slide.

Many variations of playground slides exist at amusement parks and fairs. Some require the user to slide down on a gunny sack while others are used in conjunction with water at waterparks and swimming pools. Water slides may or may not enter into a body of water.