Slip N Slide

the one we have is only good if you have like 2 maybe 3 kids, its the kind with a curve and a pool to "land" in. but its small and my 2 kids (3 and 5 at the time we used it) were about all it could handle. if the kids are bigger i suggest a longer one or one with a wider slipping field. as both my kids were half on the slipin spot and half on the grass. its not wide enough to suit me.

if i were throwing a bbq with many people i would invest in renting a bouncy house with water or something. the slip-n-slide just isn't enough for my extended family but a bounce house thats is set up for water will satisfy several kids at once and several age groups too

You can make your own out of plastic sheeting if you have the time and inclination. Just google it!

Every single one I've ever bought has split down the side somewhere the first time or two we've used it. Different weight people put different pressure on the seams and they just can't hold up.

If you do get one get the heaviest material one you can buy and then don't expect it to last past the first time. If it does then you have a winner.

I would look up YouTube videos on how to make your own :) Probably cheaper and will last longer - every slip and slide thingy I have ever purchased has lasted my kids about an hour!

Tadpole has a good idea, but with it being a holiday weekend and only a few days away, I think it would be hard and expensive to find something.

If you find a good idea on YouTube, please share! I always love looking at other people's good ideas for great fun!

Enjoy your party.

I got a SwimWays one last summer for a family reunion. The kids had a blast, but I think it lasted about 30 min before it started popping holes. Within an hour, it was not usable because the water pressure blew out the entire seam of the tube that hose screws into.

It was basically this version (mine didn't have a Disney character, but the design was this design): http://www.amazon.com/SwimWays-25030-Water-Slide-Ariel/dp...

I picked it up on clearance at the end of the previous summer season for $4 so I wasn't upset, but if I had paid $20 for it, I would have been mad at how quickly it completely fell apart. If I were to do it again, I'd just put a sprinkler at the top of a long tarp. I think it would work as well and hold up better.

ETA: Also, this one is not very long. We ended up putting a tarp at the end of it, to extend the sliding area, because the kids flew right over that little bumper at the end.

I think they all are about the same quality. We've had Wham-O and a few other brands. They all last us about a summer of use. They get ripped quickly and fairly easily, but they are still usable. By the end of the summer though, you might as well just pitch it and get a new one next year!

I bought one for a birthday present at target just the other day. It was $10 for a double wide slide with a pool at the bottom.

You can make your own, but honestly, for how little they cost, I'd rather just buy one and get a few uses out of it. They sell them everywhere, including places like CVS and Walgreens. If you have Amazon prime I'm sure you can have one delivered to your door in just two days! :)

Absolutely no advice as far as brands but I will say this:
The last time I was on a Slip N Slide it wasn't nearly as fun as I remembered it to be! I guess running across the grass to hurl your body onto a slick plastic mat isn't nearly as wonderful when you're in your mid thirties & significantly heavier than a 10 year old! ;-)
Have a wonderful BBQ!