'The Toy Shop' reviews Roller Racers, the kid powered scooters from grade school gym class
Roller Racers, aside from parachute games, were pretty much the highlight of any rainy day elementary school gym class.
The kid-powered scooter has handlebars to steer your way through childhood fun. They were originally created by a retired Boeing engineer as a gift for his grandson in the 1970s, and they were a wildly popular toy in the '80s. Roller Racers themselves are a groundbreaking product -- in fact, there have even been published studies in experiential non-linear physics using these toys. (Which makes us wonder how many physicists rolled through their labs on these things.)
But do they live up to the hype?
Mashable's YouTube series The Toy Shop looks into whether our childhood toys withstand the test of time -- are they still as much fun as they were decades ago?
In the last episode, host Dustin McLean did some serious investigation into whether these little scooters are as much fun as they were in gym class. With the help of guests Claire Max and Dre Ronayne, they put Roller Racers to the ultimate test by rolling straight out of The Toy Shop studio and racing through the Mashable office.
Who will be crowned Roller Racer champion? Watch the finale of The Toy Shop to find out!
And unlike some of the now-discontinued toys reviewed on the show, you can still buy Roller Racers from retailers. The recommended age range is 3 to 12 years old, but if Dustin, Claire, and Dre can race on them, so can you!
