A week ago my roommate and I spent a few hours playing 1080 Snowboarding on Nintendo 64. We were very much aware it was 2009 and not 1999, but it’s a fun game.

That was apparently the clincher for his girlfriend later remarking that we were acting more kid-like lately. So it should have been no surprise that just a few days later we went to Toys ‘R Us and purchased Nerf guns.

It was after that trip that we jokingly said next we’d be building forts, and well, look what happened.

Nerf guns are quite advanced these days, which fortunately supported our hypothesis about how far toys could come since our childhood. The model we selected (we got the same kind) has detachable parts that allow you to make anything from a handgun up to an assault rifle. It is also complete with a “laser” site that is quite enjoyable to use when trying to shoot your roommate in the dark.

The gloriousness of the modern Nerf gun

In fact, in our short experience with our toy weapons it is clear that everyone should own one. See a stuffed animal on the other side of the room? Blast it with a Nerf dart. Your roommate walks in after a long day at work? Shoot him as he flips through the mail. The fun is endless.

Maybe everyone should take a step back and recapture a piece of their childhood. Mad after a crappy day at work? Play some old-school MarioKart. Get dumped by your boyfriend? Tape his picture to the wall and hit it with a Nerf gun. Two feet of snow falls, dashing your weekend plans? Get out a sled (or make a sweet fort). The world is your candy cane (candy canes being far tastier than oysters).