My family had a chance to test out some pretty cool toys from Zing. They sent us a pair of Hyperstrike bows and two Zax hand axes to check out.
I used these new toys as an excuse for a family outing to the park. We took turns tossing around foam axes. We used trees as targets for arrows and axe. We shot foam-tipped arrows up arching into the sky to see how far we could get them across the baseball field. We used the smooth flat park signs as targets for sticking the throwing axes to.
Disclosure: Zing sent us these toys to review. As always the words and opinions in this post are either my very own or else belong to my kids. Some of the links below are affiliate links.
The bow and arrow sets were a huge hit with both kids. The toys caught the attention of other kids at the park, and we had strangers begging to give them a try. My husband and I took turns playing with them as well. I can vouch for the fact that firing this thing off is super fun.
Pros:
* Long range. According to the box, the range is 250 feet. We didn’t measure it, but that seems pretty accurate.
* Makes a cool whistling noise while in the air.
* Makes a satisfying thunk when it hits the target.
* Relatively easy to aim.
* Well made, seems very durable.
* Comes with four arrows.
* Additional arrow packs available for sale, including ones with suction style tips.
Cons:
* You really need to pull back hard to get this to work. Which means it’s not suitable for smaller children who won’t possess the arm strength required.
* There is definitely enough force behind an arrow to hurt a child if they were to be hit by mistake.
* Long range and potential high arcs make them impractical for small backyards (unless you want to be fetching arrows out of the neighbour’s yard)
* Draws crowds of other children and you may be forced to share. 😉
* Some kind of quiver to hold the arrows would be helpful.
* Definitely only for use outdoors.
Best for use at the park and always be careful where you are aiming. Play safe and have fun!
We also checked out the Zax throwing axes. The first thing I noticed when taking them out of the pack was how ridiculously lightweight they are. On a windy day, these may blow off course. Be careful not to aim too high when tossing them, or they will end up lodged in a tree. They feel flimsy but have weathered through everything silly thing my kids have attempted to do with them.
Getting them to land on a target and actually stick really takes some practice. You need a very smooth firm area to throw them at (a rough tree trunk does not work while the smooth side of a vehicle does — after testing it out my husband actually suggested to the girls that they use our minivan as a target!).
The initial impression was not positive. My kids tried throwing them, failed at hitting any targets, or sticking to anything, and quickly moved on to the more exciting bow and arrow sets. However, after a couple of hours of play, and perfecting her axe throwing skills a bit, the 12 year old changed her mind, declaring that the axes were actually the cooler of the two toys.
Pros:
* Very lightweight and soft.
* While I wouldn’t condone throwing them intentionally at a human target, someone getting hit with one by mistake is unlikely to get hurt.
* Can safely throw around windows, cars, etc, without worrying about collateral damage.
* May be okay for indoor play, depending on how your house is set up.
* Okay for smaller yards.
Cons:
* Very lightweight, which makes them a bit more difficult to throw (no weight to give counterbalance or momentum).
* Very lightweight, which means they can blow off target on a windy day.
* Very lightweight, so they can easily go higher than intended ie. over fences or up into trees.
* Will only stick to smooth flat surfaces.
* Takes some skill and practice to use.
Takes a bit to master, and only sticks to very smooth surfaces (though they do sell a Zax target set as well).
Overall, we have been having a ton of fun playing with both the Zax and the Hyperstrike bow sets from Zing. They are a fun way to get kids active and outside. I would heartily recommend both of these toys.
You can find both the Zax axes and the Hyperstrike bows in Canada at Mastermind Toys and Toys R Us. Or if you’re in the States, you can grab them online at Amazon.com — Zax foam throwing axe, Zax mega 4-pack with target, Hyperstrike bow and set of extra arrows (including suction cup arrows).
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