July 2, 2005 Saturday Home Edition

SECTION: Buyer's Edge; Pg. 5FE;

LENGTH: 577 words

HEADLINE: Grab bag: Cool toys for a hot summer

BYLINE: SANDRA ECKSTEIN

BODY:
SHOOTER: Marshmallow Shooter, $24.95, Marshmallow Fun Co.

WHAT HAPPENS: Load up to 25 mini-marshmallows into the magazine, pump up the air and fire away.

WHAT WORKS: What could be more fun than shooting someone with mini-marshmallows?

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: The marshmallows sometimes jam or shoot out two or three at a time.

WHAT YOU'LL GET: A pump-action gun with one magazine and some foam pellets to get you started. (The magazine has a sticker warning "Foam Pellets are nonedible." Gee, thanks for the news flash, guys.)

TO BUY IT: Spencer Gifts, Marshmallowshooter.com or call 1-877-894-6073.

FAKE SNOW: Super Snow, $7.99 for a 3.6-ounce jar, DuneCraft

WHAT HAPPENS: Stir a bit of this powder into water and make your own faux snow.

WHAT WORKS: Half a teaspoon of powder polymers and 8 ounces of water made several cups of fake snow that's sparkly and pretty, with a slightly wet feel. It also lasts for weeks. A spritz of water renews it, or simply let it dry out and return to a powder.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: It doesn't pack well, so forget snowball fights. In fact, once you've made it, there's not a lot you can do with it. But it looks cool.

WHAT YOU'LL GET: The jar of polymers will make 2 1/2 gallons of snow. Or, if you'd like a blizzard, get the 1-gallon bag ( $17.99) and make 11 1/2 gallons of snow.

TO BUY IT: Shenanigans Toys in Peachtree City, 678-364-0814. Also available online at Woodbythebundle.com or Dunecraft.com.

CHALK: Sidewalk Chalk, $2.04, Crayola

WHAT HAPPENS: These cute animal-topped chalks come in six colors.

WHAT WORKS: Share a memory with your children by letting them draw on the sidewalk, just like you did when you were a kid. You can even show them how to play hopscotch.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: The chalks can stain clothing and some surfaces, so dress appropriately before letting your little artists get started.

WHAT YOU'LL GET: Six large pastel chalks with cats, dogs or teddy bears on top.

TO BUY IT: Eckerd drugstores

LETTER KIT: Lili Chantilly the Camp Letter Kit, $12.95, Workman Publishing Co.

WHAT HAPPENS: This cute boxed kit includes everything a camper needs to write home, plus it's a cool container once the stationery is gone.

WHAT WORKS: If you want your little campers to write, give them this box, self-address a few envelopes and don't forget to include stamps.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: There's still no guarantee your kids will write.

WHAT YOU'LL GET: A box containing notecards, an address book, stickers, envelopes and even suggestions on what to write home about while at camp.

TO BUY IT: Wal-Mart, Kmart or online at Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.

BUBBLES: Vapo-Blaster, $19.99, Little Kids Inc.

WHAT HAPPENS: Motorized bubble gun shoots bubbles full of vapor.

WHAT WORKS: A cool new twist on the old bubble game.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: We found the gun, which takes six AA batteries, hard to use. You have to hold down one button, then pump the vapor button and then dip the front in bubble liquid and push yet another button to get the desired effect. Kids might get confused --- or just get tired of the routine.

WHAT YOU'LL GET: The Vapo-Blaster, a 4-ounce bottle of bubble solution, a 2-ounce bottle of vapor fluid and a bubble dip tray.

TO BUY IT: Toys "R" Us, Kmart or online at Toysahoyusa.com. Shoppers also can check the Web site, Littlekidsinc.com, to find a store nearby that carries Little Kids products.

GRAPHIC: CHRIS HUNT / Staff Marshmallow Shooter ; CHRIS HUNT / Staff Super Snow

LOAD-DATE: July 2, 2005

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