The Backyard Safari Kit

Dads Shop different than Mom’s and that is why Dad Product reviews shops for the things that matter most to Dads. This week, we review the Backyard Safari Kit, including the Essential Cargo Vest and the Lazer Light Bug Vac. Read more.

Dad Product Review:
The Backyard Safari Kit

Dads Shop different than Mom’s and that is why Dad Product
reviews shops for the things that matter most to Dads. This week, we review the
Backyard Safari Kit, including the Essential Cargo Vest and the Lazer Light Bug
Vac. Read more.

The Backyard Safari
Kit

Like most weekends around my busy household, my daughter had
asked me, "Dad, what are we doing today?"
On most weekends, I like to use my "weekend default" message that explains the virtues
of having absolutely nothing to do on a weekend is a treasure for a
family like ours that is always on the go. However, in this particular situation,
I had offered a different reply. I said, "We are going on a safari". "A
safari?" my daughter half-smiled, as I could sense that she had no idea what I
was talking about, but it still seemed to mean that there was some
father-daughter time involved. "Yes, we are heading to the park and you and I
are going on a safari together". "Horay for Cheese!" she said, and somehow I
knew this meant she was happy and this is how I started my review of a new
product for Dad Product Reviews. And so the adventure and pictures begin…

Backyard Safari Outfitters is a group of Summit Toy products
that offer children between the ages of 7 and up the opportunity to explore the
variety of insects and wildlife around their environment with user friendly tools,
toys and gadgets that make exploring fun.
The toys are safe, built well and easy to use. Each toy in the product
line builds on the users experience and different levels of achievement. Your child will enjoy the challenge on
earning more "patches" as each of the toys offer a challenge to capture,
research wildlife and discover their environment.

DPR recently received several products
to review and this is what we uncovered:

The Essential Cargo
Vest: No adventure could be complete without the proper attire. My daughter
was thrilled wearing this vest because she plenty of pockets to fill with the
stuff that we were researching. The vest comes complete with Six D-Rings and
two shoulder epaulets let you clip and hang more essential gear. A large zipper
pocket stores your trusty binocs and a clear-view chest pocket stores your
Pop-Up Field Guides^TM. The vest features two additional mesh pockets for storing
extra gear. It’s the must-have for every kid

The Lazer Bug Vac: Anything
that looks like a spacey, toy gun and makes cool noises is going to attract a
lot of attention with kids. Where the suction may lack when vacuuming up larger
bugs; the Lazer Bug Vac makes up for the "cool factor". On my trip to the park
with my daughter, it was my job to chaperone the Bug Vac. Every kid seemed to
have a bug that they wanted to capture and it was my job to keep the Lazer Bug
Vac on an even rotation. The Bug
Vac has a unique chamber that allows you to vacuum the bug, hold it in a
special compartment and then either store it or release it. You can also flip a
switch and the front end of the Bug Vac releases a bright red beam of light to
resemble a laser. The toy is built well and was able to withstand multiple
turns capturing a variety of bugs during our park adventure.

Critter Shack: What
better way to store and save all of your adventure than with a Critter Shack.
This durable plastic container can switch from dry storage to wet storage in
seconds. Just ask my daughter when she decided to ditch the butterflies and
start capturing some minnows with the others at the park. The Critter shack is
great for kids to observe and share their adventure. The clear-view, plastic
housing is water tight and topped by a breathable mesh lid and carrying handle.

Scoop Net: Smaller than a fishing net, but
strong enough to capture just about anything during our trip; the Scoop Net was
another one of those activity toys that I saw keep the kids busy for most of
the day. This durable mesh net can be used for wet or dry activities, as I saw
my daughter switch from butterfly to minnow collector in seconds. Another
benefit to this net was the fact that it floats, (verified by me when I had to
retrieve it out of a pond).

Mini Lantern and
Magnifying Glass: These two
items did not get as much attention as the other items; however, they were just
as important and essential for our safari. The lantern is small and comes with
a hook that can attach to the Safari Vest. It would have captured more
attention towards the evening time when the light becomes scarce. The
Magnifying glass gives the kids an opportunity to get close to some of the bugs
that they captured without touching them. I was guilty of showing my daughter
how to "heat up" a bug using the magnifier lens and sunlight. I was rewarded
with a "cool Dad" comment amongst the other children.

Overall, these are the kind of toy products that our Dads
love to buy and enjoy with our family. Getting outside and exploring with our
children is key for our kids to develop interest in wildlife, insects and the
environment. The Backyard Safari
Adventure Products can be purchased an found on their website (click here) You
can also see them on Facebook, and watch some of their demonstration videos on
YouTube (click here)