JUST ADD WATER! THIS YEAR'S BEST SUMMER TOYS ARE ALL WET - FROM STAR WARS TO SPIDEY TO SQUAREPANTS.Byline: Chris J. Parker Correspondent Today's kids have rooms filled with gee-whiz electronic gadgets and computers stuffed with three-dimensional, realistic games. But when it comes to summer fun, water is still the basic element. Or so it seemed at ``Toy Test 2002 - The Summer Edition,'' where nine kids of varying ages tested out a back yard full of new summer toys. The toys are among dozens of new products being introduced this summer. The 10 toys detailed below were selected to appeal to a broad age group and, well, because they were fun. The kids were selected because their parents didn't mind if they got wet. Very wet. What trends were revealed during the summer toy test? Yes, gadgets are cool and Spider-Man is as popular at the toy store A toy store, or toy shop, is a retail business specializing in the services of selling toys. No longer held to the limitations of the brick and mortar outlet, the toy store has successfully created a presence within the e-commerce industry. as he is in the movie theater. But the most popular toys required H2O, not batteries or a red- and-blue leotard. ``Parents understand they have to cool off their kids, and running through the sprinklers is a bit childish,'' says Scott Masline, vice president of marketing at Wham-O, maker of Slip 'N Slides and numerous other summer toys. Cool parents - or parents who want to keep their kids cool - will have a lot of options this summer. In addition to the 10 different versions of Wham-O's summer flagship product A primary product of a company, which is typically why the company was founded and/or what made it well known. For example, MS-DOS, Windows and the Microsoft Office suite have been flagship products of Microsoft. CorelDRAW is a flagship product of Corel Corporation. , a half-dozen toy companies have produced dozens of toys, games and gadgets specifically for summer fun. That's because summer has become big business for the toy industry. Although the winter holidays remain the biggest toy-buying season, summer sales are growing at a faster rate. ``For a lot of companies, summer is most of their business,'' says Jim Silver, co-publisher of Toy Wishes magazine, a publication that tracks industry trends. ``After all, summer is nine to 10 months of the year in places like California and Texas. ... Summer toys have grown. Manufacturers don't want to just be beholden be·hold·en adj. Owing something, such as gratitude, to another; indebted. [Middle English biholden, past participle of biholden, to observe; see behold. to the holiday season, so there's been a lot of innovation in the summer toys.'' Silver cites the Razor scooter craze as one of those recent innovations, where a decades-old toy was updated with cutting-edge materials for a new generation. He sees innovation this summer in sports toys, water toys and bubbles. Yes, even bubbles are getting redone re·done v. Past participle of redo. . Spin Master Toys, which scored a huge hit during the holiday season with the reissue of Shrinky Dinks, has come out with Catch-A-Bubble, a liquid that produces a harder-to-break bubble than traditional bubbles. ``Kids like to ... see their bubbles float. This brings fulfillment,'' Silver says. ``This is already a very, very hot toy.'' Catch-A-Bubble was one of the 10 toys tested recently in a sunny, Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, back yard. It was popular among the kids, but not the favorite toy. The top toy on this particular day was the Slip 'N Slide Big Splash Big Splash could refer to:
``There's a certain joy about Slip 'N Slides,'' says Wham-O's Masline. ``It's very carefree, it's noncompetitive ... it's not very complicated. Kids are just in bliss.'' Or, as Silver says: ``The biggest thing about the Big Splash is you get wetter. And with kids, bigger is better and wetter is better.'' Here are the top 10 toys, in alphabetical order, plus reaction from the kids (and their parents): HITS, misses and slides KEY 1 star: Do you like hearing, ``I'm bored'' a lot? 2 stars: Destined des·tine tr.v. des·tined, des·tin·ing, des·tines 1. To determine beforehand; preordain: a foolish scheme destined to fail; a film destined to become a classic. 2. for the back of the tool shed tool shed n → cobertizo (para herramientas) . 3 stars: They'll wish there were more hours in the day. 4 stars: Endless summer fun. ALL-TERRAIN SWITCHBOARD Manufacturer: Fisher Price Description: Is it a skateboard with a handlebar or a shape-changing scooter? Either way, it moves fast and handles well. The board is longer, making it easier to get on and off; and large rubber tires provide extra stability on bumpy terrain. Age appropriate: 5 and up Retail price: $39.99 Kid reaction: Cool! Parent comment: You still need to wear a helmet, whatever it is. Our rating: Three stars CATCH-A-BUBBLE Manufacturer: Spin Master Toys Description: A new liquid bubble-blowing toy that looks like an oversize o·ver·size n. 1. A size that is larger than usual. 2. An oversize article or object. adj. o·ver·size also o·ver·sized Larger in size than usual or necessary. Adj. 1. writing pen. But instead of ink, the liquid is a sticky syrup that produces longer-lasting bubbles. Once they pop, however, they leave a residue. Age appropriate: 3 and up Retail price: $3.99 Kid reaction: Look at my bubble! Look at my bubble! Look at ... Parent comment: Look at that mess. Look at that mess. Look at ... Our rating: One and one half stars DUAL ACTION WEB BLASTER Manufacturer: Toy Biz Description: A water gun that straps to a child's Spider-Man-gloved wrist (glove included). The toy also comes with canisters filled with ``web fluid,'' fulfilling every kid's Peter Parker Peter Parker may refer to:
Age appropriate: 4 and up Retail price: $19.99 Kid reaction: Spider-Man web maker? Awesome! Parent comment: The real Peter Parker has a lot more fire power. Our rating: One star GROW-TO-PRO POGO Pogo comic strip rife with political satire. [Comics: Berger, 172] See : Satire POGO - Early system on G-15. Listed in CACM 2(5):16 (May 1959). STICK Manufacturer: Fisher Price Description: A pogo stick with a wide, detachable de·tach tr.v. de·tached, de·tach·ing, de·tach·es 1. To separate or unfasten; disconnect: detach a check from the checkbook; detach burs from one's coat. 2. base so young children can learn to gain balance and control while they pogo. Age appropriate: 5 and up Retail price: $24.99 Kid reaction: It looks scary. Parent comment: It was scary 25 years ago, too. Our rating: Two stars JEEP CJ-5 MOUNTAINBOARD Manufacturer: MBS See Mb/sec. MBS - mobile broadband services Description: Snowboarding meets skateboarding. The mountainboard is larger than a skateboard and, like a snowboard, has stirrups stirrups The footholds in a lithotomy table for its rider's feet. Like a skateboard, it isn't meant for the snow. Like a snowboard, it's meant for the side of a mountain or hill. Age appropriate: 7 and up Retail price: $99.99 Kid reaction: I flipped off it twice on that hill! Parent comment: You did what?! Our rating: Three stars SESAME STREET Sesame Street is an American educational children's television series for preschoolers and is a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard, combining both education and entertainment. ERNIE'S SPLASHIN' FUN TRIKE Manufacturer: Fisher Price Description: Pull the back end of Ernie's tricycle and watch him scoot scoot v. scoot·ed, scoot·ing, scoots v.intr. To go suddenly and speedily; hurry. v.tr. Upper Southern U.S. across the water. Age appropriate: 18 months and up Retail price: $7.99 Kid reaction: Wow, look at it go! Parent comment: Great, something else that makes a splash in the bathtub. Our rating: Two and one half stars SLIP 'N SLIDE BIG SPLASH Manufacturer: Wham-O Description: The biggest Slip 'N Slide yet, with a 22-foot slide zone, a ``splash and dump'' water tunnel and a splash zone at the end. Age appropriate: 5 and up Retail price: $24.99 Kid reaction: Awesome! Parent comment: Awesome! Our rating: Three and one half stars SPLATTER-UP Manufacturer: Wham-O Description: Stepping on a foot pedal activates a stream of water that propels a plastic ball through the strike zone. Missing a ball has never been so fun - or wet. Age appropriate: 5 and up Retail price: $14.99 Kid reaction: My turn, my turn, my turn! Parent comment: Keep your eye on the water, er, ball. Our rating: Three stars SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS This article is about the series. For the title character, see SpongeBob SquarePants (character). For other uses, see SpongeBob SquarePants (disambiguation). SpongeBob SquarePants is an Emmy-nominated American animated television series and media franchise. JELLYFISH jellyfish, common name for the free-swimming stage (see polyp and medusa), of certain invertebrate animals of the phylum Cnidaria (the coelenterates). The body of a jellyfish is shaped like a bell or umbrella, with a clear, jellylike material filling most of the SOAK N SPLASH Manufacturer: Little Kids Description: Modeled after a game on Nickelodeon's most-popular television show. Soak the fabric jellyfish in water and then use the two paddles to bat it around. The paddles are a little small, for younger kids. Age appropriate: 4 and up Retail price: $7.99 Kid reaction: Look what I can do with the paddles! Parent comment: Hit the jellyfish, not the pool. Our rating: Two and one half stars WATER SABRES Manufacturer: Spin Master Toys Description: Jedi Knights can cool off with these dueling water swords. There are two in each box, plus a hose that connects both to the main hose (and prevents one combatant from running too far away from the other fighter). Age appropriate: 6 and up Retail price: $14.99 Kid reaction: I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of this article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article. ! Parent comment: Aim for the other guy, not me! Our rating: Two and one half stars CAPTION(S): 8 photos, box Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) Kristen Broughton, 6 1/2, comes in for a landing on Wham-O's Slip 'N Slide Big Splash. (2 -- 3 --color) no caption (little boy riding the All-Terrain Switchboard) (4 -- 5 -- color) Katie Martinez, 2 1/2, left takes a cut through Wham-O's Splatter-Up strike zone, while Chloe Parker, 6 1/2, below, creates sticky spheres with Spin Master's Catch-A-Bubble. (6 -- color) SESAME STREET ERNIE'S SPLASHIN' FUN TRIKE (7 -- color) no caption (SpongeBob Squarepants) (8) Your young Jedi Padawans can practice their moves with Water Sabres from Spin Master Toys. Both weapons connect to a single hose to provide a steady spray. Box: HITS, misses and slides (see text) |
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