My wife and I were taking our annual family vacation to the beach. Naturally, I had to find some cool things for the kids (and us) to play with. There were the usual purchases – swim vests and sand castle molds and other pool/ocean stuff – but I wanted something different. Something that would stand out. Who doesn’t want to be the cool dad/uncle?
In my quest for something unique, I found some reusable water balloons on Amazon. They seemed a little pricey, but fit the bill nicely. They’re little balls that are filled with water and snap shut via a magnetic enclosure. They seemed so easy to use that even a child could do it. Well, in true “me” fashion, I completely forgot to order them until it was too late. It seemed like our vacation was going to be devoid of anything outside the norm.
Until I happened to stumble on a box of “Boogy Balloons” at Dollar Tree. Wait a minute…two reusable water balloons for $1.25? While the online options offered more per pack, these were still much cheaper per balloon than the competition. They were in our shopping basket within five seconds.
First impressions: These are a little smaller than I was expecting. That’s probably my fault, because I had never really thought to look up the dimensions…all of them might be this way. They’re about the size of a hacky sack – maybe a little bit bigger. That was far from a dealbreaker for me, though. While they appeared to hold less than a “regular” water balloon, they were still big enough to hold a decent amount of water. Besides, that just meant they would result in a “splash” rather than an outright soaking. That’s actually a positive, because kids like to throw them at everything and anyone – especially parents who tell them not to aim at them because they’re trying to stay dry.
The biggest disappointment is the lack of magnetic enclosures that are a feature of most other brands. The top and bottom pieces are “attached” with a flimsy piece of rubber, which helps to keep them together. It was my fault for not reading the packaging, and even if I did, I would have bought them anyway. It also makes sense: Clearly some corners have to be cut for DT to offer these at a price cheaper than others. And I would imagine metal is much more expensive than rubber.
The tradeoff is that these are pretty hard to close, especially for kids. They have to be shut just right, or else half the water will shoot out before it’s ready. Our six-year-old son and his cousin got better at it after a while, but even then it generally took them a minute or two before they got a satisfactory amount of water to stay inside. I would often be requested to do it for them just to save some time, and to make them “extra juicy” as we called it. Older kids will likely get the hang of it quicker, but it can lead to frustration at first.
Another unexpected trait is that these often sink in water. I say “often” because sometimes they manage to float. I suppose they were meant to be played on dry land, where this won’t matter. But we took them to a pool to test out, thinking they’d be fun to toss around. I’d say ninety percent of the time they would end up sinking to the bottom. I’m no scientist, so I’m sure there’s a clear, scientific explanation as to when it will stay on the surface, or gradually drop to the pool’s floor. But even after a couple hours of playing, we couldn’t figure it out. Again, these were probably made for dry land, so it’s not that big of an issue; just more of a curious observation.
It can also be hard to get the hang of actually “using” them, something I didn’t think about beforehand. While the idea sounds simple enough, the kid’s throws frequently resulted in the “balloons” opening up in mid-air, well before reaching their intended target. The best approach is to hold it shut, with fingers on the top and bottom, as you launch it. This lessens the likelihood of them busting open in mid-flight. Throwing them with excessive force can also lead to undesired results. But kids are kids, and they don’t always pay attention to – or care about – such things.
Arguably, the biggest issue is that they hurt. Well, that was the consensus among the children, at least. (Surprisingly, I was never hit with one, and only threw it at them when requested.) I have to admit, they do seem to connect with a rather dull “thud” when making contact with a human. Of course, “hurt” in the context of a child is far more dramatic than an adult’s definition; even if thrown with full force, I couldn’t see them leaving any bruises or welts. But they’re definitely heavier than a typical water balloon, and any sort of pain – no matter how small – can suck the fun out of things rather quickly. Especially for six-year-olds.
I think the product’s greatest strength is…well, just that. They do seem to be surprisingly durable, and the added weight has plenty to do with that. The boys played with them for a while, their main aim being to see how far across the pool they could throw them. Thanks to the poor aiming of children, they somehow landed on everything from rocks, to hard concrete, to walls, and ended up virtually unscathed. It should be noted they weren’t thrown with great force at any of these objects – which would no doubt lessen their durability – but I was impressed nonetheless. The rubber attachments connecting the two pieces together are also holding up well. I expected those to break within the first thirty minutes.
So are these worth it? That depends on who’s using them. I would say they’re better suited for adults/older children, who would be more likely to get the hang of filling them quickly, and would be less averse to the “sting” of getting hit. There’s still some fun to be had for the younger crowd, though parents might need to fill it up for them to avoid aggravation. Personally, the kids seemed to enjoy using them, albeit in a limited capacity (throwing them in a pool and making us grab them when they’d sink to the bottom). If used for their “intended” purpose – to launch them at each other or other people – I don’t think their interest would have lasted as long.
Overall: 5/10. Two reusable water “balloons”, for $1.25? It almost seems too good to be true…and depending on who’s planning to use them, they might be. The lack of magnetic enclosures makes it especially hard for younger children to get the hang of closing them. I frequently had to do it for them to save some time (and irritation). They can also bust open in mid-air if not thrown properly, which is another annoyance. But the biggest potential drawback is that they sting when making contact with skin. This can be off-putting for anyone, particularly younger kids (or their unsuspecting parental targets). On the plus side, these things are durable, featuring thick rubber that didn’t so much as scuff after repeated landings on rocks and hard concrete. The kids enjoyed throwing them at inanimate objects, but having the water balloon “war” I envisioned would likely have led to tears and more aggravation than fun.
