Should I let my kids down that tube slide? How to weigh the benefits with the risk of injury

As a parent you may not like the thought of your child swinging upside-down from the monkey bars or jumping off that big rock. But it’s important for children to have risky play. It encourages them to learn their limits and build confidence in themselves.

However, sometimes the risks outweigh the benefits, and it can be hard for parents and carers to know how to manage the balance.

This month a tube slide, opened as part of a new $4.5 million playground in Sydney’s south-west, closed just three weeks after it opened.

Locals reported injuries caused by riding the slide, and a man in his 30s was also taken to hospital after he sustained a leg injury using the slide. According to media reports, the slide would remain closed until an assessment was complete.

This is not the first time a tube slide has made headlines for the wrong reasons. In 2022, another slide in NSW was closed after multiple serious injuries occurred, including a four-year old who fractured both her legs after riding the slide with her father.

There have been other cases of tube slide injuries in NSW and Adelaide as the equipment has become more popular across Australia.

What is it about large tube slides?

Giant, plastic tube slides aren’t like traditional playground slides. They are higher and longer, and the smooth plastic surface means riders slide down at greater speeds. The bends in the slides also mean riders experience sudden changes in direction and increased g-forces.

This can make the experience more thrilling, but also more demanding for the user’s body than a traditional playground slide. Tube slides require more strength and coordination from riders to remain in the correct sliding position. This means sliding feet first with legs held together in the middle of the slide.

Users, particularly younger children riding tube slides, may become scared by the speed, the darkness of the enclosed space and unexpected forces on their bodies. Their natural reaction can sometimes be to hold out an arm or a leg to slow themselves down. However, this can cause friction which “catches” them in the slide, potentially leading to twisted or broken limbs.

What can parents and carers do?

Here are five points parents and carers should consider when children are using slides and other playground equipment:

1. keep in mind that sliding down any slide with a child in your lap does not make it safer. Research has shown this actually increases the chance of lower-limb injuries for children compared to if they were to ride alone

2. take height guidance signage at playgrounds seriously. Giant tube slides are designed for users taller than 1.2 metres. This is because smaller children may not be able to slide “feet first” as easily, and can struggle to control the correct position through bends

3. be aware that clothing type affects sliding speed. Heavier fabrics, such as denim, create more friction and may slow the ride. But smoother synthetic fabrics, such as lycra, reduce friction and can result in a faster descent

4. if the child is too young or small to go down a slide, find another age-appropriate activity in the playground for them

5. actively supervise preschool-aged children on all playground equipment by engaging with them and not being distracted by other activities, such as phone usage.

Ability level is important

Playgrounds are typically designed with ability filters. These are physical barriers that discourage children who are not tall enough – or who haven’t yet developed the proper strength and coordination skills – from using specific playground equipment.

For example, stairs leading to a slide may be too high for toddlers to climb but an acceptable height for older children to use.

It’s important for adults to be aware of these design elements and to not help children reach slides where they can’t access them on their own.

A good rule of thumb is: if the child can’t access the entrance of the slide without help, then they are most likely not ready to use that particular slide.

Why are tube slides still around?

The objective isn’t to eliminate every risk from play.

Instead, the goal in designing playspaces is to eliminate hazards and manage foreseeable “bad” risks while providing opportunities for kids to learn new skills.

A hazard is anything that can cause harm, while risk is the probability the hazard will cause that harm. Bumps and scrapes are usually considered acceptable risks during play. Broken limbs are not.

In Australia, safety standards evolve as playground designs change and new evidence emerges about how equipment is used (as well as any related incidents that happen).

Last year, the independent safety standards peak body published a new set of guidelines specifically for tube slides. Some of these safety measures included decreasing the steepness of slides to reduce speeds, and extending run out sections at the ends of slides to help riders slow down.

These standards are only mandatory if they are specified in the supply contract. So parents and carers still need to pay attention while children are playing.

For the new tube slide in Sydney’s south-west, the root cause of the incidents need to be established before any potential changes are made to the safety handbook.