Interactive toy fountain

A water toy, comprising:

• a ball having a diameter;
• a vertical channel having an upper exit opening at one end, a lower entrance opening near the other end, and an inner diameter, the inner diameter of the channel being larger than the diameter of the ball;
• a helical conduit coupled to the channel and having a first end, second end and a diameter larger than the diameter of the ball, the first end of the conduit including an opening surrounding the upper exit opening of the channel, the second end including an opening communicating with the lower entrance opening of the channel, the helical conduit having an unobstructed path extending between the upper entrance opening and the lower exit opening such that the ball, when placed in the conduit, promptly passes through the conduit and into the channel, the helical conduit includes a track upon which the ball travels before it enters the channel, wherein a portion of the track is vertically offset from the remainder of the track such that the velocity of the ball is reduced as it travels across the offset track portion;
• a nozzle located at the other end of the channel beneath the lower entrance opening of the channel;
• and
• an intake portal coupled to the nozzle for receiving water from an external source and providing water to the nozzle, wherein when the ball travels through the helical conduit, the ball enters the channel and is carried by the water exiting the nozzle such that it is forced out of the channel.

A fountain toy, comprising:

• a vertically-oriented tube having an entrance portion at the bottom end thereof and an exit portion at the top end thereof;
• a conduit adjacent to the tube and having an entrance portion at the top end thereof and an exit portion at the bottom end thereof, the exit portion communicating with the entrance portion of the tube;
• an intake portal coupled to the tube for providing liquid to the tube;
• a spheroidal game piece that is placed in the conduit, wherein when the game piece travels through the exit portion of the conduit and enters the tube, the liquid from the intake portal forces the game piece through the tube;
• and
• a plurality of vents coupled to the intake portal, whereby fluid will flow through the vents in a plurality of directions.