Have a Blast with the Super Soaker

I am solidly anti-guns. I won't get into all the arguments, all the links between gun ownership and accidents, comparisons of crime rates in countries where guns are illegal versus countries where guns are legal. We don't own a gun and don't plan to own a gun, not even toy ones like air pistols or foam shooters.

Okay, you got me. I lied. I do make one exception -- water shooters. After all, what's summer without a water fight? And what better way to soak your pesky brother or sister than with a stream of water? We have lots of little water pistols lying around, remnants of impulse buys at Target and party goody bags. But frankly, they break too easily and never hold enough water to really get into a serious waterfight!

Enter the Hasbro Super Soaker, the air pressure watergun that changed the world of water fights forever when it was first introduced in 1989. Can you believe it's been 20 years?? To commemorate the occasion, Hasbro has re-released the original Super Soaker 50, just in time for summer! My sons were delighted when we were sent a sample of the Super Soaker and quickly got to work drenching each other. It's so much better than your average water pistol, yet easy enough for young kids to operate -- so it's easy to see why the Super Soakers gets a prime spot on my Must Have List of Toys for Summer 2009. In case the photo above doesn't convince you, here are 3 reasons why:

* Huge water tank -- so your water warriors don't have to fill up every 5 seconds.
* Powerful blasts of water -- it shoots up to 35 feet, so enemies can't run away!
* Easy to use -- even young kids can work the pump that pressurizes the water stream.

Here's a video of Jammy demonstrating the capabilities of this mighty weapon:



Just make sure you screw the cap on tight enough; in order to get good pressure and a nice, steady stream of water, no air should escape (you'll know it isn't tight enough if you can hear hissing noises when you are pumping). Oh, and make sure you spell out the Three Waterfight Commandments before you let your kid loose with his Super Soaker:

* Do Not Shoot Faces.
* Do Not Shoot Inside the House.
* Do Not Shoot Mama.

Once you drum those rules into their heads, feel free to let them loose in your back yard for some Super Soaking Fun!