Rating: Medium
Supplies: Cardboard Boxes, packaging tape, noise makers (optional)
In any other situation, this sight in your stairwell would likely be cause for celebration. The kids would pull out a pillow or sleeping bag, and merrily whiz down the slide. But under these circumstances, this obstacles is sure to give them reason to pause. The escapee must silently get down the slide and either dismantle whatever noise making objects have been set up or figure out how to avoid them. And if there are siblings, they must repeat.
We began by attaching the cardboard. We were lucky that the width of the stairwell matched the width of the boxes pretty closely; only a bit of folding and cutting was necessary. Next we used packaging tape to secure the boxes in place. We wouldn’t want our escapees to be able to just move the slide out of the way. With the slide in place, we set up a cup tower at the bottom of the first landing. Be sure it extends as wide as the stairwell or they may be able to easily sneak to the side of it. And at the bottom of the next landing we attached a wrapping paper barrier.
I can imagine me and my sister coming upon this trap as a child. I think I would have squatted at the top of the stairs holding her feet and made her go head first down the slide to dismantle the pyramid. Fun times for sure!
To make this obstacle easier...
1. Shorten the slide
2. No noisemakers
To make this obstacle more difficult....
1. Depending on your stairwells, make sure you analyze alternative routes for getting down and avoiding the slide.
2. Attach bells or cellophane to the walls so the cannot easily use the walls as support
