This Nerf Slip and Slide Is the Water Toy You Need This Summer — And It’s On Sale for $10!

Backyard water toys like the water slide are a great concept, but the Slip ’n Slide that used to be advertised during 80s cartoons was a little lame in execution. The original had no bumper at the bottom, so the commercials skipped showing the grass stains you got when you slid right into the yard. Still, it was revolutionary when it was invented in 1961 and generations of us gave it a try.

Now, in 2023, there’s a better version of the yard-slide toy at an inflation-friendly price. The Nerf Super Soaker Blast Water Slide just came out this spring, so it hasn’t seen a full summer of use, but we already know it’s an improvement over the old-school slide and its recent knockoffs in four important ways:

• It solves the problem of one kid waiting their turn while another slides down. The brilliant solution? The observer gets a Super Soaker water squirter to aim squarely at the slider. Hilarity ensues! With one kid sliding and the other spraying water everyone should stay happy for a while.
• It’s got a substantial bumper at the bottom. The u-shaped bumper helps form a little wading pool for sliders to crash into so they don’t end up in grass or mud.
• It’s made by a reputable company. We like Wham-O, maker of the original slide, but the online off-brand knockoffs don’t get the best marks. We’ve seen Amazon reviewers call them “flimsy “ or complain that the water has to keep being readjusted toward the slide. WowWee, maker of the Super Soaker slide, is the same company that makes sturdy-but-affordable Pop2Play items (we recommended their regular slide for a 1-year-old) and we all know Nerf, so we’re optimistic about this 2023 version.
• It’s still cheap fun. When the original Slip ’n Slide debuted in 1961 it sold for $10, which according to inflation calculators is today’s equivalent of about $100. This year’s Nerf slide usually sells for around $27, but it’s on sale right now for $9.99! As far as a summer toy goes, it costs more than a squirt gun but less than a wading pool.

The slide is 16 feet long, which sounds like a long slide, but if your 7-year-old is already four feet tall, it’s only four times their size. It will likely feel too short for a 12-year-old. The Nerf Super Soaker Blast Water Slide is age-graded for 5 to 12, and those on the younger end, the 5- and 6-year-olds, will be most impressed. (Adults, stay off of it! Anyone older than 12 and heavier than 110 pounds is more likely to land with a thud than slide on down #physics.)

Also, all PVC water slides like this one suffer the same abuse as blow-up balls and wading pools, so hang on to the vinyl patch for the eventual rip or tear. In the meantime, for $10 your kids will get exercise and have great laughs with this summer-of-2023 toy.

This oldie-but-goodie ($21) holds more than half a gallon of water and sprays in three modes: scatter, flood or distance. If you’ve got several kids playing together, put this in the mix for more fun.

A preschooler can “put the fire out” or just squirt their older sibling or cousin with this classic toy ($13 on sale) from Little Kids. It doesn’t hold a ton of water, but the 33 ounces will last a little kid a good 20 minutes. They wear the pack on their back and the squirting action is easy.