Axe throwing, minus the splinters, the sharp edges and the trip to the axe bar. Two chunky orange foam axes, a printed tree-ring target and a storage bag, and suddenly the hallway is a competition. The target hangs by its strap from a hook or a door handle, or by its suction cup on glass, the foam axes stick where they land, and the rings count 1 to 4 toward the red bullseye, so the scoring takes care of itself.

The maker's own line is the one that matters here: the foam is safe indoors or out. That means a rainy-day game in the living room on Tuesday and a backyard tournament on Saturday, out of the same box. When the last throw lands, the target folds flat and everything drops into the bag, ready for the car, the cabin or the next birthday party.

The box says ages 3 and up, and it is one of those games where the eight year old and the grown-up are evenly matched, which is exactly the point.