Hey, we were provided with some Star Wars toys for this post. All thoughts are our own. When I was a 9 year old kid Star Wars just came out. Back then there weren’t a huge variety of Star Wars toys to play with. Left to our own devices my friends and I simply played a generic “Star Wars” game that involved a stick we found in the woods and a Frisbee, more on that later. Now kids can play with any manner of Star Wars toys and Star Wars Day, the fourth of May has expanded from beyond the geek circle to a legitimate thing.
You don’t have to celebrate it exclusively on Star Wars Day. If you’re a parent to any child over 2, it’s probable that you play Star Wars several times a week. Our 4 year old has only seen the LEGO Star Wars shows, but he knows all of the main characters. All of this, despite the fact that he pronounces Darth Vader as, ‘Garth Gader’-at times I half expect a Stetson wearing guitar guy to sing I’ve Got Friends in Low Places.
We celebrated Star Wars Day early, as well as a couple of times since initially playing with the toys. Our 6 year old invited some friends over to play with a Star Wars Nerf Episode VII First Order Stormtrooper Deluxe Blaster, Kylo Ren Electronic Light Saber, Bop It! R2-D2, Star Wars The Force Awakens Hero Series Rey from Jakku, Action Figures from Takodana Encounter, a Stormtrooper and Darth Vader mask.
The kids wanted to love the Star Wars Nerf Stormtrooper Blaster, but it was a bit too difficult for them to operate. A 7 year old, or perhaps a 6 year old who isn’t hopped up by the presence of his friends, would be able to use the toy to its fullest level. We used it and the gun is a joy to shoot. It shoots like a shotgun, with the pump action in-between each dart and makes them fly about 60 feet.
Everybody loved the Kylo Ren Light Saber. It complimented the Darth Vader Light Saber that we purchased for Halloween. The kids grabbed those two and had battles in the backyard that got a bit too real at times. I had to pop out and remind them to play nicely with the small kids, lest his 4 year old brother get a taste of the dark side.
When I was a kid our Star Wars Game consisted of a friend and me trying to get the Frisbee into the goal behind us. If it was my turn to throw then they had to hit it with the stick. They could not catch it or have it hit them. We got two turns to throw it, think a shortened Frisbee golf course with a larger goal and a 9 year old trying to pound the disc into the ground if it passes them. That game was our jam back in the late 70’s and resulted in numerous broken Frisbees.
The kids also liked the Takodana Encounter action figure set, but some of the accessories, like the guns are quite small and will get lost easily. It’s marked for kids 6 and up, which is appropriate for choking hazards. It’s just a shame there isn’t a “Small part will cause parent to obsess over not losing them” clause in the toys. As with life, these toys are not a dress rehearsal, open them up, play accordingly and don’t be scared to lose something in the course of good play.
In the end though the kids loved playing with the Stormtrooper and Darth Vader masks the most. They’d take turns wearing them, pick up the Nerf gun and ran, ran around the yard. Our son’s favorite was Darth Vader and by the time the parents picked up the other kids they were out of breath and covered in sweat. They also asked if they could see Star Wars.
Our kids have not seen The Force Awakens. We started to play it for them, but by the time Kylo landed the kids were almost under the blanket. An 8 year old friend of theirs saw the film, loved it, but was sad at the fact that one of the main characters didn’t make it to the next movie.
If you’re thinking about getting the Blu-ray DVD it is well worth it. There is an entire disc of extras-and these are actual extras that you want to see. It chronicles the film from inception through creation and really is fun to watch. Once you’ve seen The Force Awakens, it’s as much fun, if not more fun than the film itself. It also includes a digital copy, DVD and Blu-ray.
So we celebrated Star Wars Day early. We’ll celebrate it again, just like you will. Star Wars Day isn’t just for the Fourth of May anymore it’s now a legitimate pop culture juggernaut that involves the entire family. How will you and yours celebrate it?
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