Slip, slidin' away

HEADING up the mountains for a few hours tobogganing is one of the simplest and yet most exciting things children can do over the Christmas holidays - weather permitting. Sliding down through the soft, powdery snow is a pure delight once you've safely reached the summit and bravely launched yourself (or been pushed) off the top.

Beginners should search out the long gentle slopes while more advanced tobogganers can easily attack the steeper inclines. The slide down is the easy part, it's the long walk back to the top of the hill which becomes most exhausting.

The Wicklow hills provide plenty of opportunity for novices and experts alike. The slopes in and around Glencree and Glendalough attract large crowds once the snow gets soft and fluffy. But the Glen of Imaal also offers lots of slippery slopes.

The Great Outdoors in Chatham Street, Dublin is one of the few places you can buy traditional Austrian wooden toboggans (£39 and £49). Plastic models are also available (£17.95). Habitat also have an Austrian slated, beech wood sleigh which would fit two children (£39).

However, many seasoned tobogganers opt for the more improvised sleigh in the form of a black plastic dustbin lid or inflated rubber tyre. Whatever your equipment, remember to get well wrapped up in your winter woollies before heading out. Frosted fingers and freezing bottoms could spoil the fun.