How to Slow Down a Playground Slide (OR Make it Faster!)

Playground slides require a careful balance of physics. You want a slide fast enough to provide thrills while remaining safe for all children. Thankfully, learning how to slow down a playground slide is straightforward.

We’ll teach you how to make a playground slide faster or slower. You will learn how simple tweaks like friction, height, and landing areas can create a safe and entertaining space in your playground or backyard.

After learning how to slow down a plastic slide, visit Swing Set Mall! Our online store has the best selection of playground slides, all personally vetted by our knowledgeable staff to ensure maximum safety.

Can a Playground Slide Be “Too Fast?”

Before exploring how to slow down a playground slide, we must discuss slide speed.

It’s easy to appreciate the results of a well-installed slide, as children laugh and enjoy a safe landing. But there’s a fine line to walk to achieve ideal slide physics. Kids will be bored with a slide that is too slow and risk injury with one that is too fast.

When Speed Becomes a Safety Concern

The primary motivation for learning how to slow down a playground slide is to mitigate danger.

First, observe how children descend the slide. Are they shifting around chaotically, unable to remain in a natural sliding position? Improper posture can raise the risk of landing injuries.

You’ll then want to inspect the slide’s exit. Are children landing awkwardly? Is the slide throwing them forward at the bottom? You must fix these danger points to reduce injury risk.

Ideally, you identify these issues and learn how to slow down a plastic slide before any incidents occur.

Factors That Make a Slide Feel Too Fast

There are several possible causes of excessively fast playground slides. Learning these causes will help you determine how to slow down a plastic slide.

Plastic is the primary surface material in most playground slides. Playground designers prefer plastic over metal because the latter can rust and cause heat damage from the sun.

You can choose several different types of slides for your property. A slide design featuring twists or turns, like spiral slides, will naturally slow down the user compared to a straight model. You should also pay attention to the descent angle. Steep angles on a slide will enhance acceleration, while a gradual slope will slow things down.

The weather also affects slide speed. Humid or hot weather creates a slick surface that slows speed, while the inverse is true of cold or dry climates.

Finally, a child’s posture on a slide will affect momentum. A straight leg and arms down position will create little resistance to boost speed, while the opposite will slow them down.

While some of these factors affecting your decisions on how to make a playground slide faster are out of your control during installation, you should consider everything.

Age Matters: What’s Too Fast for Toddlers Might Be Perfect for Older Kids

Designers build every playground or backyard with all ages in mind. A slide that could be too slow for older children will simultaneously be the perfect fit for toddlers. Weighing age groups is crucial to learning how to make a playground slide faster or slower for the children on your property.

Toddlers prefer short slides with gradual inclines, large side rails, and cushioned landing areas. The 32” Commercial Triple Rail Double Bedway Toddler Slide is a fantastic example, containing all those primary features.

Conversely, older kids can use slides as high as 6 feet with steeper inclines. Extra challenges like twist or wave slides are appropriate and can provide thrills for pre-teens.

Is it Possible to Safely Slow Things Down?

The good news is that learning how to slow down a playground slide is relatively simple. You don’t need a deep understanding of physics to modify a slide; you just need to tweak a few things and ensure you have the right base materials.

Slowing Slides Without Ruining the Fun

Can you learn how to slow down a playground slide without removing all the fun?

You can decrease slide speed using one easy concept: friction.

Adding friction to a slide and lowering acceleration won’t remove fun entirely from the equation. A change as simple as modifying slide posture or height will maintain enjoyment while increasing safety.

Avoiding DIY Fixes That Can Backfire

If you ask any professional playground designer about installing and modifying slides, you’ll hear the same warning. Modifying a slide with quick “hacks” is a disaster waiting to happen.

Many potential DIY solutions create more issues than the ones you already have.

For example, modifying the surface of the slide by sanding, adding duct tape, or laying down fabric can affect the integrity of the slide. Doing so can lead to voided warranties, degradation of your plastic, or throw off the careful balance of friction.

You can still use DIY playground slide kits for installation and modify the height and slope of the slide. But try to avoid any direct modifications to the slide's structure. It is better to purchase a new slide that fits your playground rather than try risky changes for an older one.

How to Slow Down a Playground Slide

Let’s now focus on how to slow down a playground slide correctly. These standards comply with the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission’s guidelines.

Add a Slide Mat or Surface at the Bottom

Ensure the slide's exit region is no more than 6 inches above the ground, and at a 0 to -4 degree angle. There should also be a clear use zone of 6 feet or the slide's height, up to 8 feet, whichever is higher.

You can add a suitable mat once you create a safe landing zone. You should choose an impact-absorbing slide mat, ideally one made of rubber.

Increase Surface Friction (Safely)

Friction is the most essential factor in slowing down a slide. However, there are only a few ways to directly modify friction safely.

Static electricity modifies the amount of friction on a plastic slide. You can use anti-static sprays to increase friction on a dry slide, but do so carefully.

The other reliable way to increase friction is to clean your slide regularly. The presence of dust and pollen can interfere with friction, so clearing it away will restore the manufacturer’s intended levels.

Adjust the Slide’s Angle or Mounting Height

The relationship between playground slide height and slope has a simple effect on speed. Steep slopes create fast descents.

Many professional-grade slides have adjustable mounting heights that let you easily tweak this. You also want to consider the angle of the slide, especially at the landing zone. Slides with a slight upturn will slow down the rider at the end while retaining speed through the top half to emphasize fun.

Use Clothing and Fabric to Your Advantage

When kids slide on plastic, the type of clothing they wear affects the level of friction. Synthetic materials like nylon increase speed, while cotton or denim slow things down.

You can’t control clothing in a public playground, though. A temporary fix for parents and caretakers is to place a small microcloth for children to sit on as they ride.

Create a Softer Landing Zone to Reduce Impact, Not Speed

In addition to slide mats, you can also add appropriate landing materials, like rubber mulch or sand, to further slow down the impact of falls. We recommend adding visual indicators like painted boundaries or different color materials to help children prepare for the landing.

You should regularly rake and replenish this area to ensure no obstacles or gaps in coverage.

How to Make a Playground Slide Faster

As children age, they may perceive a once-challenging slide as boring. Thankfully, learning how to make a playground slide faster is as straightforward as slowing one down.

Clean Off Dust, Debris, and Buildup

To increase a slide’s speed, you need to remove friction. Just as dust and pollen can speed up a slide, they can also slow it down. 

Cleaning your plastic slide removes sticky materials that can slow users down and random debris that can cause inconsistent speeds. Double-check that the slide is completely dry before allowing children to use it.

Use Approved Slide Wax or Plastic Polish

Plastic is the most common playground slide material. To increase speed, playground designers recommend using approved slide waxes and polishes.

These waxes seal any microcracks or grooves in the surface, creating a smooth path with less friction. Playground-grade slide waxes do not contain toxic chemicals, so they are safe for children to play on and won’t damage your structure.

Reduce Friction With a Tarp or Water

Water often increases sliding speed. You can reduce friction by spraying clean water on a slide.

Tarps or burlap sacks are also helpful tools. If you use a tarp, attach it firmly and without creases.

Choose Clothing and Accessories Smartly

While natural materials such as cotton can slow down the wearer, synthetics like nylon add speed. Changing clothes creates minor shifts in speed that are ideal for testing. Often, this tweak will suffice, forgoing the need for extensive changes.

Whether you need to speed up or slow down your playground slides, sometimes there is only so much you can do with your current equipment. If you want state-of-the-art equipment with adjustable slide heights and safe landing zones, visit Swing Set Mall!

Upgrade to a Better Playground Slide at Swing Set Mall!

Rather than fumbling around with unsafe and ineffective DIY hacks to slow down your playground slide, you need a professional-quality solution.

At Swing Set Mall, we have top-of-the-line slides with adjustable mounting heights and commercial-grade plastic. Changing the speed of our slides is as simple as turning a few screws.

We’ve been in the business for over 30 years. We began as a family-owned small shop, but have since expanded our inventory to over 1000 products, each handpicked to ensure quality, affordability, and fun.

You’ll find every type of slide option fit for each age group, including double slides, wave slides, scoop slides, tube slides, and sectional slides. This lets you install multiple slides of your property to adapt to every child on your playground.

When you shop with us, you get premier service. Our friendly support team will walk you through the entire process, answering questions like how much does a slide cost, which installation tools you need, and how to create a CPSC-compliant landing area.

We provide fast shipping, a money-back guarantee, and a 30-day price match to ensure you get the best possible price.

Final Words on How to Slow Down a Plastic Slide

There is nothing quite like the thrill of a playground slide. You need to find the ideal speed for your setup–too fast and you risk injury, too slow and kids will get bored.

The best way to do so is by adjusting the slide’s height and slope, though tweaks like clothing and cleaning can help in the short term.

Swing Set Mall has the adjustable and easy-to-install slides you need to revitalize your playground. Browse our website or talk to our team to learn more today!