Kayla and Taylor Long eagerly rip open their Christmas presents out of the packaging to play with them. Taylor loads ammunition into her Nerf Gun while Kayla races up the stairs to make her Slinky walk down the steps along beside her. Soon the entire family has their Nerf Guns and start a Nerf war.

“Nerf Guns are way more fun now than when I was little,” Taylor said. “Especially now that I have whistler darts that go faster and hit harder than everyone else’s. I always win our family wars.”

Already familiar with Nerf Guns, Kayla chose to explore the uses of a Slinky, at first doubtful of using it until she thought creatively.

“I tried making it walk down my stairs, swinging it back and forth with my hands, and I even wrapped it around my body and pretended I was Lady Gaga,” Kayla said. “I missed out playing with Slinkys as a kid, so I loved finding out all of the things I could do with it.”

Not willing to let go of her inner child, junior Kristen Tegze often sits down to enjoy old Disney movies instead of going to a movie theatre to see new releases.

“I have all of the classic Disney movies on VHS, and Lion King[sic] is my favorite,” Tegze said. “Disney’s new movies are all right, and the redone older ones are good, but nothing can compare to the video classics.”

In tune with more modern television, sophomore Lily Masuda decided to buy a Pillow Pet after seeing the commercials, purchasing one for herself and another for her friend at Walgreens.

“I have a penguin Pillow Pet named Kurt, and I got it just because it was so cute and fluffy,” Masuda said. “Almost everyone in my family has one because all you have to do is hug it to want one of your own.”

Junior Charanda Jackson also loves her child-marketed toy, a Build-a-Bear she received from her boyfriend for Christmas.

“My bear is cream colored with a dark vest and black shorts and my boyfriend named him Haarlaan,” Jackson said. “Haarlaan sits on the foot of my bed and giggles when I push his paw, making me laugh too.”

Not quite as cuddly as a stuffed animal, sophomore Jessica Baker keeps warm in her terry cloth Snuggie she received as a Christmas present from her grandparents.

“It’s black and has rainbow peace signs on it,” Baker said. “People who don’t like them are lame because they’re really comfy and warm. I even considered bring it to school today.”

Whether a Snuggie or a Slinky, Kayla embraces the child tendencies she enjoys.

“People who don’t like playing with kid toys need to reassess their inner child,” Kayla said.