A toboggan is a long, flat sled without runners or steering mechanisms that slides down snowy hills. Unlike sleds with metal runners that cut through snow, a toboggan has a smooth bottom, often made of wood or plastic, that glides across the surface. The front curves upward to ride over bumps and drifts.

Traditional toboggans, invented by Indigenous peoples in Canada, were made from thin wooden boards lashed together and could carry several people or heavy loads of supplies across snow. The word comes from an Algonquian language. Today's toboggans range from simple plastic sheets to classic wooden models that can fit a whole family sitting one behind another.

To toboggan means riding a toboggan down a hill, an activity that requires finding good snow conditions and a safe slope. Without steering, tobogganers shift their weight to guide their path, though toboggans have a reputation for being gloriously difficult to control. What starts as a straight shot down a hill often becomes a spinning, laughing adventure as the toboggan picks its own wild route through the snow.