For years, children have played with the classic ball and cup game. You know the one, where the ball on a string attached to a stick with a cup on the end that you try to swing the ball up into. Children and adults alike will spend quite a lot of time trying to get that little ball into the cup. The Kendama Super Stick is a bit like the old ball and cup game but it has been seriously updated. From Kendama USA LLC, we have the Tribute Kendama Super Stick. This Tribute Kendama is amazing and challenging.

The Tribute Kendama Super Stick in Bright Red is lots of fun and provides a good workout in learning tricks. This toy, originally from Japan, has two parts: the Ken (the handle) and the Tama (the ball). The Ken is made from wood and has three cups and one spike. The Tama is a large round ball attached to the Ken with a string. The Tama has a hole in the bottom of it so that you can make it land on the spike.TheTama is painted with a paint that is slightly tacky to help the ball land better. The package comes with an extra string and a pocket guide to learning tricks. There are also some stickers that are just for fun.

We have spent endless hours trying to learn some of the basic tricks of the Kendama. It requires a lot of hand-eye coordination and balance to land that ball on one of the cups. And even more to move it from cup to cup! We have spent some time watching videos to learn tricks but while we are still struggling with the basic "land the ball in the cup consistently" move, those tricks are not for any time soon. They are amazing to watch, though!

The Tribute Kendama Super Stick has been around the house for a few weeks now and it still gets picked up almost every day. One or another of us grabs it when walking by and spends some time playing with it, trying to raise our skill level. Learning to juggle with the Kendama is a challenge but lots of fun. Perhaps one day, we can do additional tricks like spiking the ball or landing it in creative ways.

The creative ways in which anyone can use the Kendama is a large part of its attraction for young and old alike. There are not right and wrong ways to play with this toy and its simplicity allows for a wide range of play ideas, creativity, and uniqueness when approached with practice, focus, and persistence. The Tribute Kendama Super Stick from Kendama USA LLC is a toy that stands apart.

-Product review by Lori Hooten, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, November, 2018