My poor brother grew up in a family full of nothing-but-girls. I’m convinced that this is the reason that he ended up with all of the cool toys. In true oldest sibling fashion, I wasn’t stopped by the sharpie-engraved “Jesse” label on the toys that cluttered his bedroom. I had to test every toy that came through our house, girl- or boy-intended; it made no difference to me. It wasn’t lost on me that all of Jesse’s toys were made to go fast or flaunt tricks, while my sister and I played with stationary toys, dolls, and Easy-Bake Ovens. The phrase that frequently exited my adolescent mouth comes to mind: “But it’s not fair!” The speedy and daring toys are just as fun for girls as they are for boys, and here are some current toys to prove it:
The Hot Wheels cars frequented our home quite often, and many Christmas lists as well. Any time we went to the mall, somehow Jesse managed to make sure he was leaving with one. Mattel‘s well-loved brand that is synonymous with speed just released its Triple Track Twister. With three tracks, two controllers and one huge crash zone, it is multi-car mayhem. Kids can hit the red diverter to send cars on a collision course, or blast through the blue tunnel to take on a new track. The coolest thing about this toy is that it includes an iPad stand and Action Capture app that brings the track to life. My brother and I would have loved this Hot Wheels racetrack with equal measure.
Another name that has been helping little boys and girls create speed and wreak havoc in good fun is Nerf, from Hasbro. The Nerf Rapidstrike CS-18 is the new streamlined lightweight blaster that has serious firepower and shoots up to 75 feet. The blaster’s acceleration trigger powers up the motor for super-speed firing. The clip holds all 18 of the included darts, and it’s see-through for instant firepower checks.
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