When I first opened up the Sky Ripperz package from Zing, my first thought was, “My kids are going to nail each other with these things.” The Sky Ripperz look like missiles that are projected through the air by use of a slingshot-like object.
It turns out they didn’t hit each other with them; they hit me with them instead. Which I guess is a good thing, depending on how you look at it. Anyway, it didn’t sting too badly – it just gave a little pop. (If you buy this product, I would encourage you to tell your kids to shoot the toy away from people.)
The Sky Ripperz was a huge success and kept my kids attention much longer than I anticipated. My kids (ages 9, 7, & 16 months) and I took the Sky Ripperz out to my daughter’s soccer practice and shot them into the air for a long time. And it didn’t get old. This wasn’t the first time they had played with them either; my brother-in-law had taken my kids to a park the week before to play with the Sky Ripperz and they had played with the toys for well over an hour. At my daughter’s soccer practice, other kids and their parents asked for turns shooting the toy into the air. The verdict? This one’s a keeper.
The package says that it can shoot up to 250 feet. I have no way of judging that myself, but I will say it can go pretty high and far. My 9 year-old son enjoyed shooting it up in the air and then trying to catch it. He was tagged a few times, but it didn’t bother him too much. (Of course, I have one of those boys that are covered with dirt and bruises every time he goes out to play.)
My 9 year-old had no problem pulling and releasing the toy, but my 7 year-old daughter, who is quite petite, had issues with getting the Ripperz to go high. She had trouble pulling the launcher back far enough and she didn’t have the dexterity or finger strength to hold the launcher in place while pulling She was still able to send it at a fun distance, but not quite as high or as far as her brother.
The recommended age for this product is 8 and up and after watching my 7 year-old play with it, I would agree with that estimation.
Pros: This is a fun toy that is great to take outside on a nice day. You’re sure to get some exercise and entertainment.
Cons: Only one gripper comes in the package. My son suggests that they include two launch hooks inside a package so that two people
could stand at opposite sides of the field and shoot the Ripperz back and forth to one another. (It would also cut down on time spent chasing down the Ripperz and bringing them back to the launcher.) I suppose Zing’s hope is that you buy two packages.