Last fall, I was the lucky winner of a Slackline at http://www.kidsandeggs.com, a blog I love to read. Years before, I had read all about slack lining, knew my kids would love it, and added one to my cart on Amazon. As with many items in my Amazon cart, it lived there for quite some time before I eventually moved it to Wish List where it probably remains to this day. They are not terribly expensive, between $60 and $100 for most that I’ve seen, depending on width and length. It is basically a long, wide, nylon line, with a heavy duty ratchet system. All you need is two trees or poles and you’re good to go. But when faced with the many purchasing decisions of a parent of three kids, I could just never justify the cost.
I was delighted to hear that I had won the Slackline in a drawing, and could not wait to put it to use and find out what my kids thought. At first, they were a little confused. “We just walk across it?” they asked. Reluctantly, they tried to cross it and found that it was quite challenging. We eventually took the unused portion of the line and roped it overhead so they could hold on if they needed to, and they got a lot more use out of it after that.

When spring came their enthusiasm for the Slackline returned two fold. My son, a sensory craver, has found a new and healthy outlet for his deep, sensory needs, and I find him on it multiple times a day. My oldest can now cross it without holding on and likes to shimmy across the top portion while clutching on with all fours “like a monkey.” Even our toddler enjoys holding on and bouncing on the line, trying to side step her way to her siblings.

I am so glad we won that Slackline, and I can say without a doubt that when we finally wear this one out, I’ll be visiting my Amazon wish list for a new one.