School’s Out! The Top Toys of Summer School’s Out! The Top Toys of Summer
Summer break is almost here and kids are eager for those endless days of outdoor summer fun. Beat the heat and keep your little one active and entertained with these great new summer toys.
Baby Alive Splash ‘n Giggle Doll (18m+, Hasbro, $24.99)
Designed as a bath toy, this fabric-bodied doll makes a favourite companion in the wading pool, too. Need some extra heat respite? Remove the talk unit and fill the doll with ice cubes to help your little one cool off even faster.
Tough Trike (2+, Fisher-Price, $39.99)
Redesigned with a smaller ignition key, this new version of the Tough Trike is just as much fun as the original. Kids especially love that they can stow their special treasures under the seat while they pedal around.
Backyard Barbeque Get out ‘n’ Grill (3+, Little Tikes, $49.99)
Take kitchen play out on the deck with this summer-themed BBQ set. There’s even a shallow sink, so add some water for a little wash-up fun.
New Eco Trucks (3+, Sprig Toys, $19.95 each)
Made from a mix of recycled plastic and sawdust, these handy trucks are a big hit in the sandbox. Clearing roads or building cities, kids happily spend hours digging, shoveling and dumping with this trio.
Monster Jam Grave Digger Ultimate Stunt Jumper (5+, Mattel, $29.99)
Flip the lever and send this lightweight plastic monster truck rolling down the asphalt. The thrill is watching it suddenly burst a flip. Classic driveway fun. NOTE: The lever is quite stiff, but this truck is so much fun, kids aren't even deterred by the difficulty in setting it. The easiest way is to cock it halfway, then put the truck on the ground and use your foot to push it down the rest of the way.
Chalk the Block (6+, Klutz, $14.99)
Sidewalk cracks have never looked so good! From drain pipes to manhole covers, this idea book inspires ways to incorporate surrounding objects into your chalk drawings. Encourages a whole new way to look at the world around you.
Glow Explosion Glow Stick Gear (6+, Crayola, $9.99)
This one-use kit includes special connectors that effectively turn glow sticks into a construction toy – and a pretty amazing one at that! Build glowing masks that seem to float in the dark, illuminated bangles and crowns or light-up action gear (like a futuristic hand blaster). A terrific summer sleepover activity – and great for Canada Day, too.
Super Soaker Tornado Strike (6+, Hasbro, $26.99))
Super Soaker Thuderstorm (6+, Hasbro, $19.99/requires 2 AA batteries)
The spinning barrel on the Tornado Strike sends out a cool water spiral, and the battery-powered Thunderstorm blasts water an impressive distance. Both feature a Tactical Rail (to add accessories) and the new Water Clip system. The clip-style reservoirs certainly make for a lighter toy, but since each clip holds barely more than a cup of water, you'll want to purchase extras so kids don’t have to interrupt play every five minutes to get more water.
The Complete Tie Dye Kit (7+ with adult supervision, Creativity for Kids, $24.99)
A perfect outdoor craft! The included dye bottles do indeed make this a “less mess – less stress - more fun” experience, but fabric dyes will still stain practically anything they touch. For the adventurous parent willing to take on the classic craft, this kit is the best we’ve seen. But you'll still want to don some old clothes and head to the backyard where spills can soak the grass. The kit includes an extra large T-shirt – perfect for summer PJs or a bathing suit cover up - and enough dye to colour 12 shirts. So pick up a few extra Ts before you start, because the best thing about this kit are all the clever projects to turn T-shirts into dozens of useful accessories: small purse, water-bottle holder, cell phone holder, eyeglass case, pillow, back-pack, flower embellishments, belt, necklace, bracelets, headbands - even a skirt or tank top!
Solar Cooking Science (8+, Thames & Kosmos, $19.99)
Does it feel hot enough to fry an egg? Use this solar cooling kit to see if it really is. Hard to imagine a few pieces of shiny cardboard creating enough heat to cook food, but assembled, they make a parabolic cooker. Just add a little mid-day sun and see what you can cook up. It takes a little experimenting to find the optimal conditions (works better on a cloudless, wind-free day) and best angle to capture the most rays. A fun demonstration of the power of green energy, with enough background information to get kids thinking.
NERF Dart Tag 2-Player Starter Pack (8+, Hasbro, $39.99)
Sure you can tap a shoulder. But blasting darts is a much cooler way to play tag – and that means kids will stay active a lot longer. The vests provide a moving target, and the protective eye gear is stylish enough for kids to want to wear. Compared to the fancy models sold separately, the blasters in this set are pretty basic. But that certainly doesn’t stop kids from having fun. And don’t worry too much about losing darts in the bushes – replacement packs are sold separately.
The Klutz Guide to the Galaxy (8+, Klutz, $24.99)
This comprehensive introduction to star-gazing includes tools and projects to better understand the goings on in the sky above – both at night, and in broad daylight. Building your own telescope was our kid-testers favourite activity, but they also enjoyed making a sun-dial, tracking the moon and using a sailors’ quadrant.