Summer Fun Toys

by Kendra Frampton on May 22nd, 2014 | 1 Comment »

I was invited to attend Time To Play Mag (TTPM) Spring Showcase in New York on May 1st to check out all of the hot, new, and exciting toys that are coming out for spring and summer 2014. Since I have 4 kids, 2 girls and 2 boys, a lot of the new items applied to my family. We love being outside playing at the park, and in our big backyard. TTPM has so many fun outdoor summer fun toys that are new or revamped for this season that it was hard for me to choose what I wanted to write about. Here are a few of our favorites.

Summer Fun Toys

Some of these are oldies but goodies, with a new twist or design to them. Others you might never have never heard of. While these toys are for different ages and genders, my kids enjoyed them all. If you are coming over to play this summer, these are the toys we will most likely be playing with in the yard.

Nerf N-Sports Sonic Howler Flying Disk

(Hasbro/ Ages 6 years & up/ Approx retail price $9.99/ Spring 2014)

When you throw the 'Howler' Flying Disk it howls as it flies through the air. It has a comfortable grip that makes it easy to hold and throw. And thanks to the hole in the center is easy for everyone to catch (including the little kids). The sound it makes is just icing on the cake while playing catch. Everyone from the little kids, parents, and even grandparents got in on playing with this item. Perfect to keep in the car if you frequent parks. My 16 year old has taken to keeping it in his backpack for a pick me up when he is waiting for pick-ups and drop-offs after track practice.

Junk Ball from Little Kids, Inc.

(Little Kids, Inc/ Ages 5 years & up/ Approx retail price $7.99/ Spring 2014)

Baseballs and bats practically mean summer fun toys. This plastic baseball is officially sized. It has scuffmarks and a twisting ring around it. When you turn the ring, and aim using the scuffmarks the ball is designed to make it easy for anyone to throw curves, sliders, fastballs, or knuckle-balls. The bat even has a "sweet spot" to show you where to hit the ball. We took a few minutes to read the directions and by twisting the ring and experimenting with what work best for each person. After about five minutes we were trying out all kinds of pitches and making it look easy. The kids had a great time trying to strike each other out. Our Junk Ball game morphed into an all out competition for most home runs.

Nerf Super Soaker Tri Strike Crossbow and Nerf Rebelle Super Soaker Dolphina Bow

(Hasbro/ Ages 6 years & up/ Approx retail price $16.99-$24.99/ Spring 2014)

Who doesn't love a good water fight on a hot summer day? As far as summer fun toys go, water toys are the ultimate! These soakers all hold between 45 ounces of water so you don't have to refill as often. They can shoot from up to 35 feet away. The Crossbow has a deployable blast arm that unleashes a triple stream of water to surprise opponents. The Dolphina Bow has the push/pull handle that makes it easy for anyone to use. We started by shooting at targets on the trees to see how accurate the kids could be but it quickly escalated into a full out soaking wet water rumble. These are going to invaluable during the hot, humid summer months.

FUZE Bike Bubbler

(Fuze/ Ages 3 years & up/ Approx retail price $14.99/ Spring 2014)

We had to have a family discussion when this product was seen by my girls. They each had very convincing arguments as to why it should be put onto their bike. This is actually really neat, I wouldn't mind riding a bike that leaves a trail of bubbles in it's wake. It easily mounts to any bike right below your bike seat. Turn on the battery-powered unit and a steady stream of bubbles will follow you as you ride. It has a quick release mount so that it can be used with or without your bike. This was where we made the compromise with the girls. Since it can come off they can both use it. It can be refilled with any bubble fluid, which is great. I never like a toy that has specialized pieces or liquid that you have to buy just to use it. It actually works really well! Tons of bubbles flow freely off of the bike.