Greetings, Learning Expressions Readers!
With the Super Bowl only a few days away, now seemed the perfect time to review PlayVision’s amazing Cyber Fire Football Set. We first discovered this awesome outdoor game at last year’s Toy Fair. For
those of you who don’t know, the American International Toy Fair takes place in New York every February, and vendors from around the world gather to show off the hottest new toys out there. Learning Express store owners (and the home office staff) spend four days perusing 675,000 square feet of exhibit space and seeking out the latest and greatest in toys, books, and games.
Our Outdoor and Active Toys buyer, Rob Kracinovich, has a talent for scouting out toys that get kids downright excited. With four boys at home, you can count on him to find games and gadgets guaranteed to amuse your offspring for hours on end. Last year, Rob stumbled upon the CyberFire Football at PlayVision’s Toy Fair Booth. “I was about to leave Playvision’s booth when I saw the box on a top shelf hiding in the corner. The best way to describe how I felt when I discovered The Cyber Fire football was…like finding a rare painting in grandma’s attic.” He put on the LED glasses, tossed the self-illuminated ball around, and was completely hooked. “This was unlike anything I’d seen before,” Rob explains. “When there’s a toy I can’t wait to get home and demo to my kids, I know I’ve got a hot product on my hands. I was sure it would be a best-selling toy for Learning Express.” Intrigued? We certainly were when we heard about it. Keep reading to find out more about the CyberFire Football and how it shakes out using the Learning Express 3F’s of toy quality—form, function and fun!
Form: This part is pretty simple. The set comes with two LED glasses and a CyberFire Foam Football.
Function: This is where things get not-so-simple! The CyberFire football comes in a grayish hue and is made of a unique retro-reflective fabric. The LED glasses (which have both a green and a red setting) are set within a specific spectrum range and use an amazing technology called "line-of-sight" glow . What does this mean? In simple terms, it means that the light emitted from the LED glasses reflects off the football’s fabric and illuminates it. The trick? You can ONLY see the ball light up if you’re wearing the glasses! So if someone’s watching you and your friend toss this ball around, it just looks like a boring grey football. But put on the glasses, and you can see it glow from up to 200 feet away—day AND night! Pretty cool, right?
Fun: We love the party trick element of this toy. In fact, we have yet to meet someone who doesn’t squeal with delight after putting on the LED glasses and seeing the illuminated results. Kids will love showing friends and family how this unique toy works…it really is glowtastic! Furthermore, if you play ball with dad’s old pigskin you have to go inside once the sun goes down. Not the case with the CyberFire Football! In fact, this toy may be the most fun in the dark. Kids can throw it back and forth with ease, able to see the football in pitch darkness when no one else can. It doesn’t get much more fun than that!
Talk to you again soon, and enjoy the big game this weekend!!
