I have been part of the team that reviews toys at Good Housekeeping since 2018, and one of the best parts of the process is hosting kids for in-person toy testing. We set up a bunch of toys and let the kids have at it. This gives us special insight not only into how the toys hold up against a marathon of kid love, but also what kids gravitate to in the first place.
You can never really guess what the kids will be clamoring for. This year, it was a remote-control shark. But that's actually a lot easier to explain than this other Toy Award winner, which is ... a piece of string.
Today, the toy is up to 20% off for Amazon Prime Day. Just note the deal ends at midnight tonight, so snap it up if it calls to you.
Shop the ZipStrings
All about ZipString
It's hard to explain, but ZipString remains a hot toy, and an affordable one at that. The ZipString and the ZipString Luma (a glow-in-the-dark version) are each a long, looped piece of string loaded into a handle. When turned on, it makes a billowy shape that somehow turns rigid. Users can try to see how long they can keep the shape up before it falls, or see if they can do tricks like using the loop to lasso an object.
New for 2026 is ZipString Aracna. It fastens to a wrist, making the wearer look like everyone’s favorite friendly neighborhood superhero. Read about the ZipString Aracna upgrade and how it works.
If ZipString seems familiar, it's because you may have seen it on Shark Tank. (Robert and Kevin invested.)
Once someone demoed the ZipString at in-person toy testing, the kids were mesmerized. They all lined up for a chance to try it themselves. It was truly a Pied Piper toy, and the testers would have followed it down the hallway if we'd taken it there.
"It's easy to learn new tricks and easy to use—makes me feel confident playing with it," said one 9-year-old tester.
"She liked how it glows in the dark, and she can carry it anywhere," another parent said. "It was a great toy. [It would be great] to see what else we can do with it and learn how to do tricks."
What age is ZipString best for?
In our testing, adults were roped (no pun intended) into re-threading the string into the handle for the younger kids. The age recommendation for the ZipString is 8+, and the older kids in our testing reported that they could re-thread it themselves. Younger kids were still absolutely nuts for the toy, but needed help.
During Amazon Prime Day, all three versions are on sale. Which is lucky, because an editor here recommended that parents get two—this is one toy siblings did not want to share.
Aracna
