Indiana Jones Whip
It’s made with real leather, so it’s durable. It looks very much like the real thing, but is 5.9 x 5.7 x 2.8, and it makes a real cracking sound. A smart parent could order the whip and save on firecrackers. Just tell the kids the firecrackers are invisible. What? They’re kids. They’ll believe you.
The best part of a toy like the whip is that a kid has to get up and play with it. Think of the money you’ll save on electricity if they turn off the game console. You could even let them have sweets, if you kept that part on the down-low, because you don’t want the food police to know.
Let them do a little target practice and you won’t need bug spray. However, if it’s raining outside, you might want to hide the whip to save wear and tear on the furnishings.
It’s better than balls, kites, or pets, because the whip cannot roll out in to the street. Within reason (reason being 1 child not 3), the kid won’t need much supervision. Life is just too short. They might actually learn a skill like lion taming, or snapping apples off other people’s heads. On the one hand, they run off energy, don’t sit in front of the television, and could learn a life-skill. On the other hand, a mind is such a small price to pay.