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When I first heard about Ring Stix, GeekMom Judy and I had a good laugh over the company's claim that the toy is "the coolest 21st century outdoor game." Because, you see, it's an old game.
I first ran across the game of Graces when my kids played it during a living history class, and again when I was writing my book, Great Colonial America Projects You Can Build Yourself. Judy experienced the game when her family visited Old Sturbridge Village. These old fashioned versions utilized wooden dowels and rings.
The "21st century" version is all plastic. The first thing I noticed when I received the review copy of Ring Stix was the serious amount of hard plastic packaging, but beyond my complaint of excess waste, the game itself has been a hit. It's become one of our standard beach toys, entertaining my teen and his friends when they're not in the water.
Game play is between two players. Each player has two sword-shaped plastic sticks. One player starts with a plastic ring on both of his sticks and using a flaring motion, sends the ring toward the other player, who's supposed to catch the ring. It takes some practice to master the technique for sending the ring flying, but once the kids figured it out, they'll play for an extended period of time. Side note for parents: The sticks will absolutely come out as weapons or light sabers when they're not being used for the game itself.
This is an active game and one that will get kids (and their parents!) moving. It's easy enough to transport in the included cloth bag and can be played just about anywhere you can find a wide open space, though wind does wreak havoc with accuracy.
Ring Stix retails for $19.99 on Amazon.
Ring Stix provided a game for review purposes.
