Lockdown, Tier 1, 2 or 3, social distancing, Rule of 6, half term and bored kids, all stressful and can take some figuring out. This year hasn’t been the greatest and there is no foreseeable end in sight, so entertaining the kids at home is now more important. Depending on what region of the country you live in, you will be in a Covid tier (currently 1, 2 or 3) and depending on which one (in West Yorkshire we are currently tier 2) it can make taking the kids out to entertain them this half term much more difficult.
Wicked have a great range of toys to be used indoors and outdoors and sent us the Duncan Pulse Yo-Yo in yellow (blue and red are also available), and it does a lot more than the yo-yo’s I remember having as a child.
The Pulse is a yo-yo designed for doing tricks and is suitable for children (or adults) age six years plus who are just starting out on their yo-yoing journey or have intermediate skills. It is a high-quality, well-balanced light-up yo-yo.
When I was growing up, the yo-yo was pretty much a spindle and string that had side plates, nothing spectacular but functioned well going up and down the string, sometimes getting caught up and we didn’t do tricks. Whilst the Pulse yo-yo looks the same, there is a vast amount of improvements. It is called Pulse for a reason; motion-sensing LED lights have been added to the plastic body to create a colourful light show when the yo-yo is motion – for those of you that can use a yo-yo properly this really is a sight to see (batteries are required and these are included). So that’s the obvious visible change between the yo-yo of my childhood and this yo-yo. It has also been improved internally, featuring a ball-bearing axle for longer spin time and friction stickers for better response and quicker returns. Ball-bearings, batteries, friction stickers and lights? It all sounds a bit heavy, but with its durable polycarbonate body it is lightweight at an impressive 90g.
Now I am not any good with a yo-yo, I never have been and probably never will be, but fortunately the kids are and love them. They love looking at Youtube on how to do tricks, and this is an excellent way to learn new skills and tricks (Wicked have their own channel where you can watch tips and tutorials). The yo-yo is very easy to use (even I can get it to go up and down on the string) and it lights up great with the fast motion of the spin when in use, and the faster it goes the colour pattern changes.
It is a good yo-yo for basic tricks and looping, and if you know what you are doing they are easy to pull off (says me who can’t even walk the dog, but the kids seem to manage ok). The friction stickers do make the return of the yo-yo very smooth.
It does require batteries for the lights. It is supplied with four button batteries, two already installed and two spares. You do require a screwdriver to access them so there is no chance of the children accidentally getting their hands on them.
This is a small, yet fun and entertaining toy for children and adults, and can be played with indoors as well as outdoors. The kids love learning new tricks on it and it is also a great stress reliever, especially when having to spend more time at home.
The kids absolutely love it and are enjoying learning new tricks to show off to each other or showing us their new skills. An excellent toy for the kids to entertain themselves at home, and it doesn’t take up much room (and the constant cries of “we’re bored” have disappeared, at least for a while).
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £10 | Age 6+
For more information, visit www.wickedmania.com. Available to buy from Amazon here.
Disclosure: I received this item for free for the purposes of writing an honest and impartial review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review uses an affiliate link which I may receive a small commission from if you purchase through the link.
