My son's Little Tikes Slide was a second birthday present from his grandparents. He had previously played on the toddler version of this slide at playgroup and loved it, so with a small nudge from the ever grateful daughter in law- this slide was etched at the top of Nanna's shopping list.

*Time to Des'l'ide*
I had seen both versions of this slide in displays so I had a good idea of the size before it was purchased (I know you can read the dimensions before you buy, but it's much easier for me to actually see things as I'm not good with estimating). The toddler slide, which we decided against, is owned by his friend and when he's sitting at the top, his legs are almost at the bottom. We decided that this one would be much more suitable as it would do him for a couple of years beyond his second birthday as it's a metre and a half long.
In bright yellow and green plastic, I liked the bright summery colours and thought that it would look fine in the back garden. My in laws found this for around £40 last September- I believe it was in a sale as it's current price averages at over £60, so if you're thinking of buying this- keep an eye out for bargains!

*Birthday fun!*
On the day of his birthday, we decided to put the slide up before his friends arrived. The box was huge (understandably) and the whole thing was quite heavy (but if it wasn't I'd be concerned!). Armed with the three main pieces that make up the slide, my husband began huffing and puffing and generally making the job of popping up a plastic slide look like a bit of SAS training. I believe that in theory, it's very simple though! My son and his little friends had a great time on his new toy and it was very much the centre piece of the day! The children that played on it ranged between two and six (and I can just about squeeze my bottom on it!). There was all manner of daring stunts and acrobatics to be had, and even a little bit of sliding down it in the conventional manner!

*Still a firm favourite*

Unfortunately, the weather turned at the end of September and the poor lonely slide has sat as patiently as we have, waiting for sunnier climes and happier times! That said- it's seen all manner of snow, gales and rain and is still looking quite handsome indeed! It's not rusted as it's mainly plastic, meaning that if you don't have a storage area for it when not in use, it's fine to stay outside. The plastic is completely robust and can take quite a battering without it having any effect. The only time it does mark, is if a child scrapes the rubber of a shoe on it- but I imagine this would come off with a bit of a scrub. The steps are lovely and chunky- textured for grip, so ideal for little ones to gain their confidence without slipping. It is a little high, so best to place it in a soft area on the lawn (or carpet if you have a lot of room in your home!) The whole structure is sturdy and all edges are rounded- so it's a very safe toy to clamber on. Children love it because the colours are fun and it's big enough to get quite a queue of children on it at once, given that there's four steps. A fun toy for the solo child or a crowd!

*Pop it on the shopping list!*

I would recommend this toy to friends as I've been very impressed with it so far. The only thing that I don't like about it- is the bright yellow plastic- as lovely as it looks, seems to attract flies! Every time we go to play on it when it's warm, we have to brush off at least 20 little pests! But this is a minor point really, considering the joy it brings to my little boy and his buddies!
Value for money with much much more milage left (hooray- sell it on in a few years!)

Tip- make sure that, if you have your slide on the lawn and it is to stay outside, keep moving the position every couple of days to prevent the grass from dying underneath the contact points.