Injection molded plastic toys are commonly purchased in the form of sleds, floating toys and many other shapes. For downhill sledding on frozen snow or ice covered hills, various plastic sleds have been used for many years. The plastic base or hull of the sleds provides a slippery surface superior to wood or aluminum with less risk of harm in case of accident.
For use in swimming pools various inflatable toys are conventional as well as more expensive injection molded boats or polyurethane foam toys of various shapes.
A disadvantage of purchasing such relatively expensive floating toys is that in northern climates the period of use is very limited. A typical outdoor pool may be used for less than four months, especially by smaller children.
The situation is similar with more expensive sledding toys which can be used for three or four months depending on the location. Modern sleds have become more complex and expensive with steering handlebars, skis and seats to mimic motorcycle riding.
Such expensive toys require extended periods of storage and since children outgrow riding toys very quickly, the commercial success of these toys is limited.
In the design of toys, especially riding toys, it is common to mimic the look and operation of real vehicles. For example, floating toys mimic real boats, and sleds and bicycles mimic real motorcycles. In some cases the mimicking is enhanced by the licensing of trademarks from a real manufacturer to the toy manufacturer, as in the case of toy Jeep trucks for example.
Many manufacturers of small or recreational motorized vehicles produce several types of vehicles. For example, it is not uncommon for a single manufacturer to produce some or all of the following vehicles: snowmobiles, jet skis, motorcycles, outboard motors and four wheel all terrain vehicles.
It is desirable therefore to extend the useful life of such relatively expensive toys, to improve the value of the such purchases and extend enjoyment by the child.