Most toys are sold in the build-up to Christmas, but there is a second spike in the sales figures as we approach summer. This is accounted for by the sales of outdoor toys and games. Plastic is a great material for manufacturing children’s toys because it is durable, non-toxic and shatterproof. Here are five plastic toys that are looking hot this summer.
Smackerz
It’s Health and Safety gone… er… safe. Those of us who are older than we care to admit will probably remember ‘clackers’. Clackers were comprised of two hard plastic marbles attached to the ends of a piece of string. The game was to see how many times you could get them to ‘clack’ above and below your hand before you broke your knuckles. They were banned from playgrounds sometime in the 1980s. Smackerz is the same idea with bigger balls made of softer plastic.
Polymer Tri-Blade Boomerang
The three-armed boomerang is an advance on the ancient aborigine hunting weapon. For a start, it is a lot easier to master. The lightweight plastic polymer means that you are unlikely to take out any kangaroos, but it also won’t hurt when it hits a random picnicker in the park.
Waboba Moon Ball
Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. How can you improve on the humble ball? Well, the design team at Waboba came up with the Moon Ball. This super-bouncing plastic ball makes a unique ‘popping’ sound when it hits a hard surface. Loads of fun, but definitely one to enforce the ‘outside only’ rule – this gravity defying ball can bounce up to 30 metres high!
Long Range Water Pistol
We probably shouldn’t be encouraging children to consider guns as playthings. But water pistols are so much fun! A lot of improvements have been made since modern water pistol technology hit the market in the early 90s. Super Soakers and their imitators have an advertised range of up to 30 feet and consistently outperform this in practice. These bright plastic guns should be brought out on a hot summer’s afternoon and kept under lock and key the rest of the time.
Inflatable Hot Tub
Not strictly a toy. We came across this while researching paddling pools for this article. A toy for grown-ups, perhaps? The Lay-Z Spa Inflatable Hot Tub has made the hot tub an affordable back garden option. On a hot day, you can simply inflate your hot tub and invite up to seven friends to chill out in it with you. When the weather cools off, you can simply deflate and store in your shed.
Perhaps you have an idea that could be a best-selling plastic toy in future summers? Call us on +44 1692 501020 or email any questions to sales@coda-plastics.co.uk and a member of our product development team will get back to you.
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