10 Water Toys That Ruled Every Summer

Invented by NASA engineer Lonnie Johnson, this pressurized water blaster completely changed suburban water warfare when it hit stores around 1990. Instead of weak squeeze squirts, kids could pump up air pressure to drench their opponents from across the yard. It quickly became an iconic staple of nineties summer culture and sold millions of units worldwide.

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First patented by Robert Carrier in 1961 and made famous by Wham-O, this long plastic sheet turned ordinary lawn grass into a slick home water park. Hooking up a standard garden hose created a continuous stream of water that let neighborhood kids slide on their bellies. It defined sunny afternoons despite leaving plenty of bruised knees and muddy lawns in its wake.

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Wham-O created this chaotic backyard sprinkler toy that attached directly to a garden hose and featured a plastic head that danced wildly in the air. As the water pressure built, the hose whipped around the lawn to spray unsuspecting kids. A staple from the 1960s, it was pulled from the market in 1978 over safety concerns, so it lived on mostly as an older sibling's hazy summer memory.

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Canadian inventor Steve Hartman began selling these colorful flexible polyethylene foam cylinders in the 1980s as buoyant pool playthings. Originally derived from industrial construction backer rods, the lightweight tubes quickly became ubiquitous across backyard pools everywhere. Kids used them for floating, water jousting, and splashing friends all summer long.

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Small rubber latex balloons filled with cold tap water served as the ultimate ammunition for spontaneous backyard battles. Originating from an accidental discovery in the mid-twentieth century, they became a ubiquitous rite of passage during hot summer months. Filling and tying dozens of them required patience, but the resulting splash made the effort worthwhile.

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A souped-up Wham-O take on the lawn slide, this adventure themed water track featured a yellow plastic runway ending in an inflatable reptile head. Kids took a running start, hit the wet plastic strip, and zipped straight through the open jaws into a small splash pool. Famous television commercials made it one of the most requested suburban backyard toys of the era.

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Before high pressure blasters dominated the market, simple plastic squirt guns were the go-to choice for summer heat relief. These translucent or brightly colored handheld pistols relied on a basic trigger pump to shoot small streams of water. They were inexpensive, lightweight, and perfect for quick draw backyard showdowns.

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Larami elevated water blasters in the late nineties by introducing Constant Pressure System technology using an elastic rubber bladder. Unlike earlier air pressure models, CPS blasters fired thick, uniform streams of water with incredible force from the first second to the last. It raised the stakes for neighborhood water fights and became prized retro gear.

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Powered by compressed air and a blast of tap water, these plastic model rockets delivered high flying outdoor excitement. Users filled the rocket base with water, attached a hand pump, and built up pressure until the projectile launched high into the sky. The resulting downward shower of mist gave kids a refreshing cool down after every launch.

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Whether molded from rigid blue plastic or inflated with air, the humble wading pool was a foundational backyard fixture. It provided immediate relief from scorching temperatures for toddlers, pets, and overheated older kids alike. Simple to fill with a garden hose, it doubled as a home base for reloading water blasters and balloons.

Sources: Wikipedia