Below are some pictures from an old school country style Youth Ministry Activity.
It is pretty easy as long as you can get a bunch of boys to dig for 2 days straight.
How to build a river slide
1.Clear a straight path down the bank of a river clearing any trees or logs in the way. ( the steeper the bank, the faster you slide)
2. Dig a trench the entire length of the slide. This trench needs to be at least 1 foot deep to avoid kids from sliding off the side. (use sandbags as extra barriers to make it safer)
3. Build a jump at the bottom. Don’t make it too big otherwise it will kick the kids into a backflip and they will hurt themselves. (Might be worth checking with your insurance company about how high you are allowed to go with the jump)
4. Line the entire slide with old carpet. This works as a bit of a padding so kids don’t hurt their buts when they go down it. (you can get the carpet for free out of a dumpster at court factory)
5. On top of the carpet put 1 solid length of black plastic (Purchasable for around $110aud from a hardware store). You will need to secure it at the top of the slide so that it stays put.
6. Hire a water pump with a long enough hose to reach the top of the slide from the river. Make sure the pump is strong enough to pump the water up the hill. This will give you the best speed going down the slide. (If you don’t want to spend the money on a pump, soapy water will do the trick. Keep in mind though it will require at least 1 bucket of water each time someone goes down the slide and it won’t be as fast)
7. Safety is paramount with this type of activity. Have a life guard on hand and also check the water to make sure it is deep enough & free of any submerged objects the teenagers could hurt them selves on.
