AIBU to let my kids be 'vandals' in the playground?

[1950sHousewife]

Went to the park today with 2 toddlers. There is a sturdy plastic slide which is surrounded by these small round smoothish pebbles, the kind that cushion a fall.

DCs had a whale of a time putting these in a bucket and clattering them down the slide, watching them bounce down. It kept them happy for over an hour.

No one else was using the park. (yes, it was that inviting in the drizzle)
There was an old woman on a bench who kept giving us the cats bum treatment for several minutes.
I'm pretty sure she didn't approve of the DCs not using the slide as a slide.
AIBU letting them chuck pebbles down? Surely slides have to put up with worse abuse? Or would you think this is bad behaviour as well.

I'm more than happy to bow to the jury's advice.

Oh btw - yes children should be allowed to explore 'alternative' uses for things and be allowed to 'knock themselves out' metaphorically speaking of course , now and again. As long as not harming other people or property I dont see the problem. H&S gone a bit too far these days imo.

No one else around. Not spoiling or interrupting anyone else's fun. Early lessons in velocity and momentum. Not a problem in my book.

My kids used to have a plastic slide in the garden. I polished it with Mr Sheen once and DS2 shot straight off the end and into a bush.

I've often been tempted to polish the slides at the local park but fear being sued if someone's child hurts itself.

:o Calamity! Was he alright?

One of my pet hates is parents saying 'we go DOWN slides not up them' - as long as there isn't another child trying to go down at the same time, why in hell not? One parent tried to tell me it was because she didn't want her dd's bottom going where other childrens' shoes had been (it was a dry day btw) - precious much?!

Calamity . That is such a funny picture - like something straight out of a comedy film.

you go to the park u have to expect and even let your kids get dirty

why not take their shoes off and get them to try and climb up the slide in their socks or bare feet if not too cold a day....now there's a challenge to figure out. we had great fun doing that as kids

with the pebbles i would say that as long as nobody else was using and you put them back after then no problem
prob a good idea to take a cloth with you to give it a wipe before and after to improve slidiness

DD and her cousins were sliding down a slide into our paddling pool one day. An adult set up the hose so water poured down the slide. One of the children decided to add fairy liquid to the slide. The adults kept quiet, but were ROFL 2 mins later

Purple and Suda oh he was fine! It wasn't a particularly prickly bush. He was just surprised really. So was I; I thought the polish might help a bit but I'd no idea just how slippery polished plastic can be!