Almost all children love to ride on different slides during walks in the winter season. Many do it on special ice cakes. Today we will talk about what they are and how to choose them.
What it is?
The ice sledge is a special compact sled. Such equipment is used when going downhill in winter. This simple design is most often made of plastic.
Ice-floes are lightweight. In addition, they can be purchased at a cost affordable to each parent. These designs are safe for children.
There are differences between the ice and the simple sled.
Ice slides are designed for children to descend from slides with an ice surface. A sled is most often used for simple walks with a child. But you can also ride from snow and ice slopes on them. In addition, ice floes are distinguished by several more important features:
- glide perfectly;
- have less weight;
- are more resilient;
- good maneuverability;
- more modern and beautiful design.
Kinds
Children's ice skates for downhill skiing can be of different types. There are many varieties nowadays.
Standard
The simplest variety is a plastic round structure with one or more handles. It will not allow you to increase the speed too much during the descent, but at the same time the child will not get dirty or hit on it.
"Basins"
Variety "basins" look like ice-plates. Their diameter is much larger than that of other models. Sometimes they are made in a more elongated shape. This option is considered the safest.
Soft constructions
Today in stores you can also find soft varieties of ice cakes, which look the most attractive and are particularly compact and lightweight. During manufacturing, various beautiful drawings and images are applied to them.
Soft models are made with a special material that has heat-shielding properties, so your child will not freeze while riding the slides. Such structures are easy to carry and lift on high slopes.
Ice cakes like these are almost impossible to break or deform. After all, they cannot crack, cracks cannot appear on them.
Some of them come with a passenger seat belt. It is fastened to a child's belt or over his jacket. In this case, in general, it is not necessary to carry the iceball in your hands, since it will always be fastened to a person.
Ice blades
Another type is the simple scapula ice. It has only one large handle. This option belongs to the simplest types, but at the same time its price is much lower than that of the others.
Brakes
They look the most modern. The brakes are most often located on the sides of such ice floes. Such designs can be round or rectangular.
The device of such models allows you to brake on the hill at any time. This is especially necessary in the presence of obstacles and irregularities on it. This sled has a comfortable rope to hold onto while riding.
Double ice
Such models are designed for two children to ride at once, so they are large (120-122 centimeters). They are made of frost-resistant materials. Most often, durable rubber is taken.
Two-seater specimens glide perfectly not only on ice but also on snow. They are easy to ride even on tight turns. They are made with two handles for two children at once.
"Cheesecakes"
These samples are inflatable sleds. "Cheesecakes" are impressive in size. These designs are round in shape and are considered the most comfortable for the child.
These ice sheets are covered with a special smooth fabric, thanks to which they glide perfectly on the ice surface. Two children can ride in them at once. At the same time, their total weight should not exceed 130-140 kilograms.
Ice troughs
They are a more refined version of the classic common variety. These samples are larger. You can even fit in them with your legs.
Most ice troughs have handles on the sides. It is convenient to hold on to them during the descent from the ice slide.
But remember that these models do not have good stability while riding. Therefore, many of them are unsafe for young children.
When hitting even small irregularities, the structure will strongly lean to one side and may completely fall with the child. It gains great speed when used, which can lead to collisions with other objects and ice.
Ice boards
These models of structures have the appearance of an almost flat surface with handles on the sides for passengers. They are capable of picking up high speed when descending, so they are not recommended for small children.
Ice boards are often made of special foamed plastic. Often, such samples are created with images of cartoon characters, so they like most children.
"Pills"
Such samples are round. They are made from a special smooth fabric. "Tablets" are made with a strong rope that you can hold onto while riding. These ice floes most often create a variety of colors.
Materials and sizes
Most ice cakes are plastic. In this case, only high quality plastics are used. They not only have excellent resistance to deformation, but also to sudden temperature fluctuations. In addition to plastic, heavy-duty rubber is also used for the manufacture of these structures.
The sizes of the ice may vary. The simplest models are available with dimensions of 31x27x0.2 centimeters. Samples "trough", "basins" and structures-scapulae are larger - their approximate size is 43x35x4 cm.
Soft ice can have a scale of about 35x35x6 centimeters. Models with brakes and just two-seater models are the largest dimensions 80x43x22 cm, so two children can easily fit in them.
How to choose?
Before buying a suitable option, consider the age of your child. So, ice-plates, standard samples with handles can be used already after reaching two years.
Designs intended for two children can only be used after the child reaches at least three years of age.
Consider the price factor as well. Remember that the more expensive options are cheesecakes and models with brakes.
Pay attention to the design of the ice cube. Indeed, today manufacturers can offer a huge number of different designs with patterns and colors for boys and girls.
Nowadays, there are many soft designs with images of children's favorite characters. They will not be erased from the product even after repeated use. The simplest design is possessed by classic ice cakes, “scapula” and “basins” models.
Look at the edges of the product before buying. It is best to choose products with slightly raised edges, thanks to this, snow masses will not be captured during skiing.
But also pay attention that the elements are not too sharp. Otherwise, the child may get hurt while playing.
Remember also about the level of stability of structures. Trough samples have the least degree of stability, so this option is not suitable for small children.
The most stable models are models with special guide strips located on the bottom. An important role is played by the sides, which allow the child to calmly ride not only from ice, but also from snow slides. In this case, the ice will not get bogged down in the snowdrifts.
Before you buy ice cream, you need to look at the material from which it is made. It needs to be strong, durable and environmentally friendly, but still quite flexible.
Attention should be paid to the level of frost resistance. This is especially true for those who live in regions with harsh, cold climates. After all, some models, due to too low temperatures, can be strongly deformed or cracked.
Consider the weight of the product. It should not be too large, because your child should easily carry the structure, lift it up an ice or snow slide.
If you use ice for daily walks, then you should purchase samples without steering wheel and without brakes. After all, these elements make the structure much heavier. Remember that inflatable models are also more weight and size, so they are also not suitable for everyone.
Operating rules
In order for the product to serve for a long time, and your child does not get crippled while riding down the slides, you need to ride it correctly. Remember that you cannot go down at a time when the previous person has not yet left the path.
It is forbidden to ride on your feet or squat on ice. In this position, the child can easily get injured, and the structure will simply crack. It is also impossible to move down from the slope head or back forward. When riding, you need to keep only your feet in front.
If an obstacle appears on the way that cannot be bypassed, then you need to carefully roll over to one side. After that, you need to carefully roll away from the ice surface.
Pay attention to the ice slide itself. If it has even slight irregularities, then it should not be used for riding. In no case do you go down on the ice from the railway embankments. And also you should not consider the slopes for this, which are located near the carriageway.
If your child is going to ride a "cheesecake" or other inflatable ice model, then you should choose descents with a small slope for this. After all, using steep paths for these samples is simply dangerous for humans. Conventional plastic structures can be taken on slides with a steep slope.
When descending the ice slide, the child must firmly hold onto the handles located on the ice itself. Otherwise, a person may be badly hurt, and the structure may break or deform.
You should go down the hill only if there is no one below. Otherwise, you can injure yourself, the person who passes at the beginning of the descent, and break the structure.
After the descent from the ice slide has already been completed, the child, along with the ice, should immediately move away from it. This is so that other passengers can easily slide down on their sleds.
For more information on what ice is and how to choose it correctly, see the next video.
