Water balloon fights are the most important battles a child will ever have if they’re not living in a comic book. (Battling Thanos would be a little more intense, but only fractionally.)
As if water balloon battles weren’t intense enough, Bunch O Balloons Marvel Avengers, by Zuru, ups the ante by a tenfold. We’ve all spent over an hour filling up water balloons and tying them up, just to have two dozen break. The process is made even less fun when all of your hard work amounts to five minutes of play time and the kids are begging you to make more.
Bunch O Balloons solves this problem with an ingenious method to fill up balloons in about a minute. Each balloon is rubber-banded to thin straws that connect to a base that screws onto a hose. All you have to do is turn the hose on, wait 10 seconds, and shake the straws into a bucket. Voila! A full set of filled and rubber-banded water balloons emerge. The best part? Tying, the most obnoxious step in water balloon creation, is eliminated and it only takes a minute to fill up all 100 balloons. The balloons won’t fill up with a faucet, so a hose is necessary for this toy.
These Avengers-themed balloons come with three different designs—Captain America’s shield, Iron Man’s helmet, and a toxic waste sign. There’s also a different version of the product available that comes with a slingshot that rivals even Hawkeye’s accuracy. The designs on the balloons allow kids to get creative by making their own rules, or even using a points system, which can be beneficial for creativity, math, and organizational skills. For example, the toxic waste sign could be worth more damage points or makes a player sit out for a round if they get hit. Maybe, the player or team throwing Cap’s shield gets points added to their score when it hits the mark, while getting hit by Iron Man takes points away from the kid or team getting hit.
While water balloons aren’t inherently educational, these themes provide very educational moments. If your kids haven’t already watched Captain America: Civil War, sit them down before or after the water balloon fight and talk about what Tony and Cap could have done differently to be better friends to each other, even when they have very different opinions. Have the kids talk about a time in their own lives where they could have been a better friend.
Physical games of competition offer the perfect opportunity to discuss and practice good teamwork, communication skills, and sportsmanship. The water balloons themselves help with coordination and throwing skills, while offering an easy, fun-filled day in the sun. You’re never too old to play with water balloons. Avengers, assemble! I want to play, too.
