It wouldn't be the start of the new school term without a new playground craze, and this year, Bumpeez are hoping to be the pocket-size product that becomes the talk of the school yard.
The 'Bumpee' is a circular chip encased in a silicon ring which comes in a variety of different shapes and colours. It can be bounced against hard surfaces, and comes with over 25 indoor and outdoor game ideas, and will have a 'socially responsible' website launching soon (with a character who will apparently encourage kids to play outside and not to stay online for too long). There are 100 different characters with individual personalities to collect, so kids can swap and trade for the characters they are after.
But what exactly is the POINT of it? To the untrained parental eye, Bumpeez are nothing more than a variety of oddly shaped rubbery cases into which a small plastic disc is inserted...but hey, I'm 38, what do I know - over to William, 8, who knows about these things... (although I will say that at just £1.99 a pack, I am all for them on the value-for-money front, even if I don't have a clue about what they're actually for).
Bumpeez are £1.99 a pack from newsagents, supermarkets and toyshops. Suggested age 5-11.