The Toys That Bond

Thu, Jun 18, 2009

This Father’s Day, ask for a present that both you and your son will enjoy.

By Stan Horaczek

Spalding iHoop
Most portable hoops have flimsy graphite backboards where bank shots and layups go to die, but the iHoop is one of the first to feature a 54-inch tempered glass board for a real gym feel. But what puts the iHoop in a league of its own is the iPod dock and three water-resistant speakers stashed inside its base. Five buttons let you control tunes easily, so now you can teach your son about the genius of Led Zeppelin while you’re showing him proper free-throw form. [$1,300; spalding.com]

The Lesson
Ideally the ball goes where you look, which is why beginners should focus their eyes on…the front of the rim? Sounds odd, but it works. A bit too much power and the ball drops in off the back of the rim; too little, and it will often still roll over the rim and in.

Orion Skyquest XT10 Classic Dobsonian Telescope
High-end scopes are packed with complex gadgetry, but you really only need a star atlas and a simple, well-made instrument like the XT10. It’s notable for a massive 254mm aperture that turns pinpricks of light into clearly defined planets, meteors, and Boeings. And the Dobsonian base keeps the 31-pound scope stable while allowing for the minuscule adjustments required to track with the moving starscape. [$500; telescope.com]

The Lesson
When trying to observe something faint in the sky, like the rings around Saturn, you’ll get a better look out of the corner of your eye, preferably the side closer to your nose. Astronomers call this averted vision, and it works because the edges of the eye’s retina are more sensitive to low levels of light than the center.

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Nike 1000 Spiral-Tech Official NFHS Football
There are qualitative measures a man can use to gauge his fatherly abilities, one of them being how well his son throws a spiral. Nike’s newest pigskin makes both of you look good because the ball’s construction results in a straighter flight, so even a hastily tossed Hail Mary drops in with the precision of a laser-guided warhead. And it meets National Federation of State High School Associations standards, so Junior will be ready come tryout time. [$20; nike.com]

The Lesson
The proper grip puts your middle, ring, and pinkie fingers across the ball’s laces, but small hands can’t always stretch that far. Have your son hold the ball near the finish and focus on his motion. At the end of a throw’s follow-through, the thumb on his throwing hand should point downward. If not, your rookie QB is pushing the ball with his elbow rather than whipping from the hips like he should.

Prism E3 Stunt Kite
Once a plastic toy-store kite gets airborne you’ve pretty much exhausted its potential, unlike with this stunt rig, designed to tear up the blue like a low-flying MiG. The E3 has a movable 10-gram weight for dialing in the kite’s flying style — key to pulling off complex tricks like the yo-yo, where the kite flips over itself. Newbies will like that it can handle a variety of wind conditions and comes with an instructional DVD. [$183; prismkites.com]

The Lesson
Once the kite is in the air, keep your hands down low and your elbows at your sides. Beginners tend to raise their arms above their head while they try to steer, making it much harder to master the small motions needed for precise control.

Shimano Sonora FB Spinning Reel
Department store reels, with their plastic pieces and clunky action, make it tough for even seasoned anglers to pinpoint a cast. Shimano’s new Sonora FB reel doesn’t cost much more than a blue-light special, yet it has shielded stainless-steel bearings and a line management system that prevents a Gordian knot. Plus, its oversize gearing lets young anglers reel in big fish smoothly and easily. [$50; fish.shimano.com]

The Lesson
For beginners, the toughest part of casting a spinning reel like the Shimano is knowing when to straighten the index finger to release the line. Have your mini bassmaster point that finger at his intended landing spot as he swings the rod down, which should give him the right timing.

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Carter Brothers Talon ZR 150 R2 Buggy
You want to tear across the backyard in a go-kart with your son, maybe ramp off a dirt mound, but the wife’s having none of it. That’s why, when you show her the picture of the Talon, you point out the five-point harnesses and the massive roll cage, explaining that he couldn’t be any safer unless he were in a crib. What you don’t do is mention the 12.5-hp air-cooled engine in back and the 38-mph top speed. [$2,800; carterbro.com]

The Lesson
Loose surfaces like dirt and gravel mean getting side-ways, so once Junior passes Driving 101, he’ll need to master the power slide. It’s no different than in a car: Turn into — not away from — the slide and modulate the gas to bring the back end in line again. Never stomp the brakes unless you want the buggy to roll over. -

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