From the Toysit archive
Air Snares Drumming Game
Explore a pair of blue electronic drumsticks, their rhythm games and free play, then exchange a four-box rhythm postcard with a partner.
The play at a glance
A pair of sticks with a beat of their own
Air Snares puts the drum sounds inside two long blue sticks. Dark tips extend from the handles, with small orange controls close to the player’s hands. A short gesture in the air can become a drum sound, leaving the space in front of the player as an imaginary drum kit.
Mattel’s guide describes two rhythm games and a free-play mode. One game asks the player to listen and repeat; another invites playing along with a backing melody. Free play leaves room to choose sounds and make a personal rhythm.
Listen, answer and improvise
In the first game, the sticks play a drum phrase, then signal the player’s turn to repeat it. The second game keeps a melody going while the player follows its rhythm. Recorded crowd sounds provide the game’s feedback. The guide also describes tempo controls for changing the pace.
The two sticks have different jobs. A master stick selects the game and tempo; the secondary stick offers groups of percussion and effect sounds. The guide calls for their connector cable when using both sticks fully in the scored games. Free play can use them independently. Check the matching instructions and the pieces present with your set before starting.
Try a rhythm postcard exchange
This original Toysit activity turns a little rhythm into a message. Use a sheet of paper, a pencil and four large boxes drawn in a row.
- Put a dot in two or three boxes. Leave at least one empty box for a pause.
- Point through the boxes at an easy, steady pace. Say “tap” for a dot and stay quiet for an empty box.
- Give the card to a partner, who can clap the pattern or read it aloud.
- Ask your partner to change one box and send the new rhythm back.
- Try the pattern with gentle air gestures in the toy’s free-play setting, following its guide and leaving clear space around each player.
The dots and pauses belong to the players’ paper game. A spoken or clapped version makes a complete activity on its own.
Give the rhythm a destination
Draw a tiny scene on the other side of the postcard: a train arriving, a parade turning a corner or rain beginning on a roof. Play the pattern once, then invite the listener to invent a title for it.
Keep favorite cards together. On another day, put two side by side and see how a longer pause between them changes the little performance.
The historical record
Original Toysit coverage
The original product account and commentary are preserved below as historical coverage.
Drums you can pay anywhere - the more you play the better you get.
Kickin' Drum Beats Hit The Air With Mattel's New Air Snares Game! Aspiring Drummers Make Cool Music with Electronic Drumsticks. From the car dashboard to the best pots and pans in the cupboard, kids have always loved to jam and rock-out by turning whatever they can get their hands on into a drum set. In fact, at one time or another, every kid dreams of being a member of their favorite band. They imagine themselves rocking out cool beats for fans everywhere, with deafening applause following every set. Now rock stars in the making can create real musical fun and take it wherever they go with Air Snares, a unique game and musical instrument in one! These new sticks will take budding musical geniuses to a new level of air drum entertainment.
Air Snares is the only handheld electronic game that is actually a pair of drumsticks that play fun tunes and musical games of skill when kids tap them in the air. These cool drumsticks come with built-in speakers and an LED display. Drummers don't even have to strike a surface in order to play one of the fun games or when they jam in free-play mode. The best part is that Air Snares makes every player sound amazing, no matter what their level of drumming experience. When tapping out an air drum rhythm, Air Snares keeps tempo along with the player. The game includes different drum and long symbol sounds, 20 different melodies and three modes of play for hours of fun. In Repeat the Beat, players listen to the game play a tune and then do their best to repeat the beat by playing the drums in the air. The computer judges the kids and even scores their performance.
In Follow the Beat, players keep up with the rhythm and beat of the background riff that is played. In modes one and two, players are scored with a crowd cheer or boo. Then in Free Play, aspiring drummers can chose from more than 16 different drum types or special effects to create their own cool tunes and make them different every time they play. Music is an important creative outlet for children, and Air Snares is a great way to tap into their musical talents and imagination, said Phil Jackson, Vice President of Games & Puzzles Marketing for Mattel, Inc. Air Snares releases that creativity in a fun and exciting way as kids create their own beats. Busy kids on the go can enjoy the musical experience of Air Snares anywhere as they practice to be the next famous drummer.
Sources and editorial notes
Mattel’s 12-page instruction sheet 42743-0920 was read and visually reviewed. Its controls match the pictured sticks. It specifies 20 melodies and 16 drum choices on the master stick, with grouped choices on the secondary stick; the earlier “more than 16” wording remains historical. The original promotional text and Phil Jackson attribution are preserved. The postcard is an original editorial activity, not a tested lesson.
- Original Toysit image — Existing same-site photograph reviewed and retained unchanged.
- Mattel: Air Snares electronic game instructions — 42743-0920; all 12 pages and control diagrams reviewed.
- Original Toysit coverage — Complete original product account and historical commentary preserved.
Images and descriptions are retained as historical material. How Toysit covers toys.
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