We’ve covered the subject of children and stairs before on this blog. We wrote about child-proofing your stairs in order to avoid any mishaps with younger children, while our article on the social side of stairs mentioned how those with a vivid imagination could turn their stairs into a mountain or a cascading waterfall. However, in the future those imaginations might not need to be so vivid, thanks to a new invention.
Trisha Cleveland, a Minnesota-based digital marketer came up with the idea of a slide that can be fixed to a flight of stairs, allowing children (and adults) to slide down to the bottom and turn their home into a playground.
The device, named the SlideRider, features a fold-up slide that is stored in a portable box. When positioned at the top of the stairs, the slide can be unpacked, unfolded and placed over the top of the steps, allowing children to slide down. The slide itself is constructed from foldable layers of mats that are thick enough to ensure children don’t receive any impact from going down the stairs, and sturdy enough to support a child’s weight.
Safety has been taken into account with raised rails on either side that prevent children slipping off the slide and colliding with the wall, handrails or spindles along the side of the staircase. There is also a cushioned crash mat at the bottom to provide slidees with a soft landing.
At the moment, the product is only at the prototype stage but the amount of interest shown since the idea was first made public suggests there would be a definite market for it, were it to go on general sale. One potential sticking point could be the price. Ms Cleveland is gauging the opinions of those showing an interest to see what they feel would be fair selling price for the slide. Once that issue is overcome, it may only be a matter of time before the SlideRider is on shelves, as well as on staircases around the world.
If you fancy turning your stairs into a slide, first you need a staircase and you can find everything you need at UK Stair Parts, with a full range of products including spindles, handrails, treads and risers, with a next day delivery service available if you need your parts urgently.
Written by David Chapman of UK Stair Parts