Nobody wants to buy a kid a toy they think is way cool, only to have the kid toss it aside, roll their eyes or ask to eat a big plate of acorn squash and mung beans rather than play outside with it. One round of giving a rejected gift can have even the savviest parent feeling a little too much like the single friend who spends a gajillion dollars on a rhinestone pacifier that gets recalled the next day. That's no good.

Enough play time and pool time has gone by this summer for kids to test out on some new seasonal toys and report back on what they like best. The kid reviewers in this article sum up that any toy that gets them all "wet and messy" also gets a thumbs up (way to be articulate, kids...be sure to take extra notes in Behavioral Psych and Analytic Evaluation next year, mmmkay? Come on. I'm kidding.).

They tested all kinds of water-shooting, web-blasting and remote-controlled toys that will make hours in the backyard or with a (naive and well-compensated) babysitter even more fun. I give my own thumbs up to the kids for being honest. As a parent, I also love that the price tags on the toys are all mid-range, with many under ten bucks. This means it is fun for the kids and no worries when you have to run out and buy another one so your over-excited husband can join in too.