This toy was bought in Japan in 1986. The Balloon Bomb consists of a plastic ring, into which you insert a balloon. At one side of the ring is a small clockwork mechanism. Pull the string to wind up the mechanism, and start it going...
You can hear the mechanism ticking, and you know that at a certain point a sharp point will be stuck into the balloon, which will cause it to go bang.
But the mechanism keeps you guessing - the time interval between pulling the string and the balloon popping varies in a random fashion.
It can form the basis of a childrens' party game - pass the ticking balloon from child to child, and the person holding the balloon when it pops is out of the game. Or maybe they win the prize!
You know the balloon is going to go bang - you just don't know when. The suspense all adds to the fun!
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