Nerf is a brand of toys featuring soft, spongy polyurethane (plastic) foam. Nerf takes its name from a type of foam used to cushion roll bars that protect drivers in off-road racing. Nerf originally became popular for its softer, safer versions of traditional sporting equipment. The brand later became known mainly for its toy weapons, particularly blaster guns that shoot foam darts. Nerf is owned by the Hasbro toy company.
The first Nerf ball was created in 1969 by the American inventor Reyn Guyer and manufactured by the game company Parker Brothers. It was round and about 4 inches (10 centimeters) in diameter, roughly the size of a traditional softball. The ball was marketed as safe for indoor play. It quickly became popular, and the Nerf line soon included a larger ball, a Frisbee -style flying disc, and a basketball and hoop. The Nerf football, first offered in 1972, became the most popular piece of Nerf sporting equipment. The Tonka toy company acquired Parker Brothers and the Nerf brand in 1987. Hasbro acquired Nerf in 1991, when it purchased Tonka.
Toy weapons became part of the Nerf brand in 1989, when the Blast-a-Ball was introduced. This popgun-style toy fired foam balls the size of a golf ball up to 40 feet (12 meters). Other early Nerf weapons included the Bow ‘n’ Arrow toy, introduced in 1991, and the Sharp Shooter, the first Nerf blaster with foam darts (1992). Since then, Nerf has featured blasters with an improved range, rate of fire, and ammunition capacity, as well as other advanced features. For example, Nerf has introduced blasters that fire darts tipped with Velcro or suction cups, foam pellets, or foam-covered discs. The Nerf Ultra series, released in 2019, was advertised as having foam darts that could fly as far as 120 feet (37 meters).
