I thought that I’d tell you about two outdoor toys we’ve been enjoying lately.
M wanted the Max Liquidators as part of her birthday celebration. I was skeptical, because they act like a syringe, drawing plenty of water and spraying it out quickly. These seem like a perfect backyard pool toy, but we don’t have a pool. I feared excessive lameness. M felt so confident in the fun factor that she successfully lobbied to have each child get one ($5 each at Target or Wal-Mart) instead of a goody bag. I do like the idea of one big possibly crappy toy instead of several tiny and absolutely crappy toys and a crappy candy in a bag. I filled a kiddie pool so that there’d be a constant source of water.
Max Liquidators and a Flying Disk
Well, they were a rousing success. Everyone at the party enjoyed them. In fact, we ended up having a spontaneous family water fight on Father’s Day as well. This time the girls were refueling their ammo at a large bucket. W pointed out that, in a way, it’s nice that the kids have to refuel constantly, because it keeps them contained around the water source. Unlike many water guns that will last a while and end up getting carried into the house no matter how many times you’ve told them that it can’t go into the house. Also: it’s not a gun. So if you’re resisting guns in your house, this can be a good compromise. Sure, sure–it’s a weapon. But it doesn’t look gun-like at all. Oh, and at first we thought that the Target ones were much easier to operate, but then we realized that the Wal-Mart ones had a little plastic sticky tab over the hole that had to be removed. Of course I only figured this out as I was returning the “defective” Wal-Mart ones. Not my most clever moment ever. But in my defense, no one else in the household figured it out, either.
The Flying Disk was a gift that’s sort of like a Nerf version of a frisbee–softer and gentler in case it smacks you in the head. It’s also so light that it’s a bit floaty, which makes it slow-moving and easier both to throw and catch. They were both more successful with this than they’ve been with frisbees in the past.
