WEEEEEEEE!!!!!!
Yesterday, on Throwback Thursday, we cooled off and got discounts for our good grades at a short-lived New Jersey boardwalk amusement park/water park.
And a giant bee freaked us out amid a Sesame Place-style rip off.
Sorry, Romper Room, you’re not Sesame Street!
Today, we move on to Flashback Friday, and water park fun that is (relatively) inexpensive by comparison.
It also involves a plastic yellow mat, a hose to make it wet, and throwing yourself full-force onto this mat, as water sprays in your face., while your friends watch in excitement.
That’s right kids, I’m talking about a good old-fashioned Slip n’ Slide!
This commercial is from 1987, but the Slip ‘n Slide is so timeless and awesome by nature, it also aired in 1987. And when you click play to watch this commercial, you’ll get the added bonus of dad with Dad Hair, Short Shorts, and Dad shirt. He’s your dad, except you’re not one of these kids, and he isn’t setting up this for you.
But go on and click play anyway, I couldn’t possibly have crushed your spirits.
I will admit, I was much older (actually too old) and much heavier than the average Slip ‘n Slide user has any right to be. I was 14 years old and weighed 117 pounds the first time I threw myself onto this thin sheet of plastic in my friend’s backyard. Height-wise, I was safe, but yeah, 17 pounds too heavy and 3 years too old probably screams dangerous.
That was 20 years ago, and the Slip ‘n Slide I used was at least ten years older than that.
And we were fine.
Take that, Consumer Product Safety Commission!
There was real appeal in toys like this – they posed imminent danger if you were rough with your pursuit of throwing yourself down on the slide, but the reward of getting tons of water in your face, the adoration of the friends who came to play, and summer fun on the cheap made this all the more worth it.
And then they introduced the slides with splash pools and rafts as your endgame. And don’t forget Crocodile Mile!!!!
Delicious!
And there you have it, hot fun in the beginning of the summertime, and a cool end to your week!
Have a great weekend!!!!