2014 Gear Of The Year: OgoSport Aero Zipp

If you’re anything like us, you played a lot in the woods as a kid. What was the most readily available toy in the woods? A stick. That’s right. They weren’t sticks though, were they? They were wands, guns, batons, or anything else you could dream up. What we were doing is called open-ended play, and it’s one of the guiding principles at Ogosport.

Their goal is to “encourage play between all age combinations in-between and to allow for open-ended exploration and experimentation.” We love this because it fosters creativity, and doesn’t confine the imagination. This same mindset allows people to have a great time simply walking around in the woods with no agenda (another one of our favorite activities).

So how does the Ogosport Aero Zipp fit into all of this? Well, it’s a device that throws a ball about 200 feet. It’s fun to use, has a comfortable handgrip, and can become anything you want it to be. It could easily be a wand throwing magic spells or a competition for distance throwing. The Ogosport Aero Zipp single comes with three balls and allows you to control a curved flight path. It’s a nice alternative to shooter toys that still allows your child to launch a projectile. There are no springs or rubber bands, just the natural motion of swinging your arm. We think Ogosport did a nice job introducing this toy to the classic game of catch.

Price: $25.00