DaGeDar

All boys are fascinated with balls. I learned this seven years ago, when 3Po and Jammy were just ten or eleven months old, yet spent most of their time playing with (and fighting over) the few toy balls in our household. To this day, their love affair with spherical objects continues -- they love soccer balls, basketballs, inflatable beach balls, marbles, and anything that rolls. So when I first saw DaGeDar racing balls at the MomSelect Swag Suite at BlogHer 2011, I knew immediately my kids would love them. When we received some DaGeDar balls and tracks to review, my theory was confirmed!

The Basics
DaGeDar are little racing balls, each with its own name and design. Each ball also has its own code that kids can unlock on dagedar.com. There are over 240 DaGeDars to collect, trade -- and most importantly, to race. DaGeDars have steel cores, so they zip down racetracks at lightning speed. You can purchase special DaGeDar race tracks -- such as the High Speed Stunt Jump Track, High Speed Score Zone Raceway and Two Lane Battle Jump Raceway -- to put your DaGeDars through their paces.



The Bongga
The boys love playing with their DaGeDars! They're already talking about buying DaGaDars for all their friends' birthday presents so that they can all play DaGeDar together.

Here's what I love best about DaGeDars:

* It's such a simple idea -- no complicated instructions, no batteries, no learning curve, yet it's got the speed and thrills that boys love.

* The different designs are so cool, and since each one has its own little stand, you can display them on a shelf. Of course, that also means boys will have the extra fun of collecting, comparing and trading with their friends.

* You don't actually need to buy the DaGeDar tracks to enjoy playing with DaGeDar racing balls. They'll work equally well if you race them on standard race car tracks. Okay, maybe not quite as well -- the DaGeDar race tracks have higher grooves separating the lanes, so the DaGeDar balls are less likely to roll off the tracks.

* Even parents love watching DaGeDars roll on their tracks! It all looks so smooth and effortless, and their steel cores make them lightning-fast, but it's tougher than it looks to arrange the tracks so that the balls don't roll off. It's quite a challenge to set it all up, but it's worth it when you set the DaGeDars off and watch them fly.




The Blah
I get nervous every time I hear these balls fall on our hardwood floors with a big, solid Thonk! I'm convinced the heavy steel cores are going to put dents into the floor boards, but so far it hasn't happened. 3Po and Jammy have learned to quell my nervousness by only playing with their DaGeDars on a carpet or rug.

The Bottom Line
DaGeDar has everything boys love -- cool designs, cool stunts, plus the simple (yet thrilling) entertainment of speed and racing.

Disclosure: I received a product sample to facilitate my review, but have not been paid to review the product or give my opinions. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.