Nabeel and Hameed Vohra have entered the battle arena. On their mother Umaima Abdulally’s cue, three-year-old Hameed rolls the dice. Players take turns to pop bubbles in their favourite rows on a handheld toy. Ultimately, the one to press down the last pop forfeits the game. “The game is fun, but also challenging. Kids need to think strategically,” the 37-year-old Bhandup resident thinks. A winner is declared once s/he wins three times in a row.

The new game in town to catch the fancy of kids is called Pop It and is a softer, quieter version of bubble wrap, the packaging material no one can resist poking into. The only difference—Pop It doesn’t need to be tossed after one use.