The Player
Nancy Streeter, owner of Eureka Toys in Newburyport, stocks some of the season's biggest beach pleasers.
Nancy Streeter sells beach pails down by the seashore.
(Photograph by Wendy Maeda)What's the hot new beach toy for this summer?
The Wow Rackets by Alex. They're a paddle toy. When the birdie hits the paddle, it makes a great booming sound that's very satisfying.
What about traditional beach toys?
The molds to make pieces of sand castles. They're open-ended and encourage imaginary play.
What makes a good toy?
One that doesn't have a preconceived notion to it, where there's more than one way to use it.
Have you made any purchasing mistakes?
Only a few in all these years, but one of the biggest disappointments was a jump rope. We have really good ones with a nice weight to them, but we ordered once from another supplier, and they were so flimsy I couldn't put them out. They're still under the stairs.
What was your favorite beach toy growing up?
I grew up on the Parker River in Newbury. We used to use a sponge. We'd get it wet and play sponge tag with it.
So do you sell sponges?
No. But we do have a fancier-looking thing that's similar - a multicolored ball that soaks up water when it's wet.
What's a perennial favorite?
The BeamO. It's a huge flexible Frisbee made of nylon. It doesn't sink in water and has a huge hole in the center big enough for an 8-year-old to fit through. I brought one of those home and my sons - the youngest is 18 - heaved it around for a long time.
Eureka Toys, The Tannery Mill, Newburyport, 978-465-9359, eurekatoys.com
Send comments to magazine@globe.com.
