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Little Tikes’ Construction Sand Box has a built-in crane to scoop sand from the sand box and deposit it in the dump bucket, which can be tipped to fill a dump truck that transports it where needed.
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FROM
active play to water play to sandbox play, your own backyard can offer as much fun and variety as day camp
or the neighborhood park.
For a child under the age of 1, a baby swing provides a pleasant rhythmic motion during which
she learns to adjust her body position to maintain balance (an important pre-walking skill).
But for a toddler who is able to scamper around, it is better to forego the passivity of
a swing. Save that until he is able to pump independently. Far better is a stationary play structure on which
your child can experiment with full body movements, such as climbing and stretching, that exercise the major
arm, leg, and back muscles.
TEETER TWIRL puts a new spin on the classic
seesaw. In addition to going up and down, the seats also move around like a carousel, as children’s own body
movements add momentum. This ride-on works best with two children of approximately equal weight. And keep an
eye on those over seven; some of our older testers had to be stopped from their bravado attempts to balance
themselves by standing across the middle of the teeter. Ages 3-7, $50. (Hedstrom, 800-934-3949)
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Hedstrom’s Teeter
Twirl puts a new spin on the classic seesaw. In addition to going up and down, the seats also move around
like a carousel.
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CONSTRUCTION SAND BOX has a built-in
crane to scoop sand from the sand box and deposit it in the dump bucket, which can be tipped to fill a dump
truck that transports it where needed. Your children will come up with their own scenarios, depending on what
play accessories are available. When the sandbox lid is positioned alongside the sand box, the combined play
space extends ten feet to provide plenty of unencumbered play space for several children at a time. The sandbox
can hold 300 pounds of sand; our tester found 200 pounds adequate for a depth of five inches. There was some
water seepage under the lid during a rainstorm, so if you can’t wait for damp sand to dry out, cover the dump
bucket area with a tarpaulin. Ages 3-6 years, $120. (Little Tikes, 800-321-0183, www.littletikes.com)
SPLASH ‘N’ DASH is a construction set for
creating a backyard water park. Simply snap together the interchangeable tubes, cap them with the assorted
sprayers included, and connect the whole thing to the garden hose. As children cavort between and around the
tubes, jets of water spray upward and outward in varied configurations. Those who tested this last summer reported
that a "bunch of kids had a blast playing in it" and that "it would have been really something if there were
five of the deluxe set put together!" Ages 5 and up, $40 for the deluxe (38-piece) set tested. Smaller sets
are available beginning at $20. (Sport Fun, 800-423-2597, www.sportfun.com)
| A stationary play structure enables your child to experiment with full body movements, such as climbing and stretching, that exercise the major arm, leg and back muscles. |
PHLAT BALLtransforms in midair from a flying
disc to a ball. Any child who finds it more fun to throw a disc, but easier to catch a ball, will appreciate
this hybrid. Squeeze it flat to throw it as a disc; in flight a spring mechanism pops it into a ball. But there
is a randomized time delay, so you can never be sure just when it will pop. The unpredictability adds exciting
suspense to games like hot potato, tag, and others described in the accompanying booklet. Ages 5 to adult,
$10. (Goldman Toy Group, 856-216-1333, www.phlatball.com)
PHENOMENAL FOAM FLYER BOOK holds four foam
flyers (Frisbee-style disk, ring flyer, four-wing boomerang, and glider) in separate compartments. Accompanying
each are techno-tips for flying, the history of each, the scientific principles that make them work, and games
to play with each. Take this along for exercise breaks on long car trips. Ages 6 to adult, $20. (Innovative
Kids, 203-838 6400, www.innovativekids.com)
BUNGEE BALL enables a child to practice catching
a ball when there’s no one else to play with. A strong elastic is attached from the ball to a band strapped
around the wrist of the child’s throwing arm. The child throws the ball to bounce off the ground and tries
to catch it on the rebound. If he misses, there’s no need to run after it; simply pull it back by the elastic.
A child in a wheelchair would appreciate this feature. Ages 6 years and up, (American Home Products, 213-483-0424,
ext. 202 or 203, www.bungee-ball.com)
POWER PONYTAIL SOFTBALL has many features
to help beginners (either girls or boys) succeed at batting. A speed control dial on the pitching machine can
be set for a slow-pitched arc (for beginners) or a fast pitch speed (for greater challenge). The batter presses
a radio control button on the bat when she is ready for the ball to be pitched. The softball-size balls are
larger than standard baseball size. Ages 8 and up, $60. (Rawlings/distributed by Sport Fun, 800-423-2597, www.sportfun.com)
Ruth B. Roufberg is a toy consultant and juror for the Parents’ Choice Toy Awards. Her
toy reviews are published by many parenting publications and are syndicated nationally by Tribune Media Services.
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