Hasbro Playskool Busy Ball Popper
by Hasbro
|
List Price: Our Price: $21.99 You Save: $7.00 (24%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Toy See more product details |
|---|
Toys and Games Reviews of Hasbro Playskool Busy Ball Popper
Customer Review: Has held my child's interest for several months!
Summary: 5 Stars
We gave this to my son for Christmas when he was 8 months old. Now he's almost 15 months and still loves the ball popper. In fact, I love it, too. My husband and I find ourselves playing with it when we're spending time with him in his room, even when he's doing something else. Yes, the balls fly up and often out, but that's part of the fun. Those parents who complain of having to chase balls around need to lighten up a bit and get down on the floor and play with their children. I used to be the one looking for and retrieving the balls, but as my son gets older, he gets up and tracks the balls down and knows just exactly where to put them.
It has been fun watching the progression of how he interacts with this toy, from just sitting and observing to learning how to turn it on by himself, to figuring out where to put the balls, and even transferring that information and trying to put other balls in (even though they are too big to fit). From this perspective I think it is very educational. Cause and effect, trial and error, exploration, problem solving, etc. A toy doesn't have to be about ABC's and 123's to be educational.
Occasionally, the fan doesn't seem to be able to push the balls all the way out, but if you simply nudge the balls in the shoot or cover the top for a second, they come flying out. Perhaps I need to change the batteries, which, by the way, have lasted since we first got the toy. Have not had to change them one time. And it has been played with over and over, almost every day for 7 months.
Yes, my son has stuck his hand down the shoot numerous times but has never gotten his arm stuck. I imagine that it is alarming for those who have experienced this, but it has not been a problem for us.
It's good to know that replacement balls are available, but up to this point, we have kept all our balls. One may get misplaced for a few days but we always find it some place or another.
I am so glad we got this toy. One of his favorites of all time!
Customer Review: Egads - Be Prepared for Balls EVERYWHERE!!
Summary: 3 Stars
My 15 mo old son was given this toy as a gift by a friend. I am now considering strangling that friend...
Place the balls in the toy and push on the little "head" to make the multi-colored balls (it comes with five) move through the toy and "pop" out of the top. In an ideal world, the balls will fall nicely in the little tray and make their way through the tunnel to start their journey all over again. Unfortunately, after one "cycle" (which lasts about 15 seconds), we usually have fewer than two balls remaining. The others have managed to bounce out of the tray after "popping" and are now under the sofa, the bookcase and in the dog's mouth. I feel like I'm playing fetch trying to get all the balls back before they are lost forever...
The music is catchy and my son LOVES dancing to the music and watching the balls pop. Unfortunately, he also seems to love watching me "fetch" them from under our furniture.
We've tried supplementing the balls that came with the game with ping pong balls and small "whiffle" balls, but those are too small and too light to be very effective. So... looks like Mom & Dad get to purchase additional balls so that we don't have a little boy who is too disappointed.
On the con side...
The toy did not come with batteries and requires 4 "D"s, which meant a special trip to the store for mom.
Obviously, the ball situation is also an issue.
If you're looking for something to entertain the kiddle on its own, this probably isn't the toy unless your little one is nimble enough to fetch his/her own balls.
On the pro side...
When it's working, it's great.
Foreign objects (in our house; dog bones, oversized legos, a sock) all come out of the tube fairly easily by tipping the toy upside down.
When placed on its side, the toy will lightly shoot balls at household pets. (pro or con depending upon your kid.)
Customer Review: Lots of Fun !
Summary: 4 Stars
dd received this gift around 1 yr of age. I was concerned that she would be too old for the toy, however she's now almost 2 and still enjoys playing with it.
PROS:
- Music is fun, light-hearted and different than so many other toys out there
- Balls fly all over the room (you'll find this as a CON also) allowing for child to chase the balls and anticipate where they will go
- Balls shoot into the air, which most baby's and children find amusing
- It's easy for child to start (once they gain enough strength to do so).
- Easy to assemble
- Didn't eat batteries as quickly as I thought it would
- Doesn't seem like it would easily break, however dd is fairly gentle with her toys
CONS:
- Music is hard to hear over the fan
- It tips over easily when dd tries to use it as leverage to stand up by
- Hand could get stuck down the hole
- Items other than "balls" are a challenge to remove from the hole
- Fan is definitely not strong enough nor the hole big enough to fit any of the Fisher-Price balls that are abundant in our house. Therefore we are constantly trying to remove them or keep them out of the way when dd plays with this toy.
- We store toy in the toychest and balls fall out easily when not in use, therefore wish there was a way to keep them in the toy with some sort of cover ??? Right now we end up emptying out the toy chest completely to find all the balls
- Balls fly all over the room (you will find this as a PRO also), they get lost easily
- Younger children may have problems pushing the plunger down in order to start the toy
- Yellow slide is easily pulled off by child (and easily put back on by parent)
I know I listed a lot of CONS, but over all this toy has offered my dd many hours of enjoyment !
Customer Review: MANY problems
Summary: 1 Stars
I did not want this toy after reading the reviews, but my sister-in-law bought if for my son. Each of the 1-star reviews here have addressed one problem or another, but let me just sum it all up into one complete version of the MANY PROBLEMS.
1. Upon assembly my son IMMEDIATELY stuck his arm in the hole. One reviewer said that the toy has been redesigned with a cover of some sort. I looked around and have not found this. Our popper was purchased in December 2007 from Target, so I would assume it's from one of the newest manufacturing lots. Target doesn't keep toys on their shelves for very long. It's still dangerous, no fixes made that I can see.
2. LOUD, LOUD, LOUD. Both the fan and the music.
3. The fan is not strong enough to push the balls out when there is more than 1 ball in the chamber.
4. When you put just 1 ball in the chamber so there is less weight, the fan is then too strong and the ball pops over the toy and rolls away. The product description says "Sometimes the balls spill over for even more interactive, put-and-take play." What an absurd statement! I can't think of anything I'd less like to do than retrieve balls from beneath the couch, coffee table and TV stand.
5. The toy is quite heavy. When all 4 balls are in the chamber we have to tip the toy over to get them out (because of the weak fan). My 16-month old has seen me do that and quickly learned to do it himself, but he's not strong enough to tip it without the toy falling on his foot. Further, he usually does the tipping routine after he's turned it on, and once the toy is tipped on its side the balls then shoot out like a rocket launcher. My son has taken a few in the face.
I HATE THIS TOY. It should be recalled, retired, redesigned... whichever... just get rid of it, Hasbro!
Customer Review: What colorful, musical fun!
Summary: 5 Stars
Our 20 month old played with this at a friend's house and didn't want to put it away, which is not like her since she bores easily with most toys. We purchased one for her and the moment she sets it down to play, her face lights up, she squeals with delight when she presses the big red ball to start the action, and then once the balls start popping in the air, she is overjoyed.
The colorful balls are placed in the chute on top of the unit, then as they slide down the ramp, the air popper forces them up through the top hole and they pop around like popcorn! We watch our daughter laugh and have a blast with this toy all the time, but she is learning so much from it as well. First she learned cause and effect when pushing the red lever to start the machine. She learned that the music will not start until the balls begin moving. Next she learned where to place the balls, and how to catch them if they scooted away, and finally she learned words like BALL, STOP, OUT, PLAY, DANCE just from the repetition of the activities. The fun music reminds me of a circus parade and several songs randomly play while the popper is activated.
Storage is a snap since it's heavy enough to stay upright while playing, and light enough to grab and go when it's time to clean up. There are three main pieces that an adult has to screw together, and though a child might be able to pry off the top piece, it easily snaps back into place. Just don't lift it from the top piece and you shouldn't have a problem.
I recommend this toy for babies who are able to sit up unassisted so that an adult can help them play with the balls, but highly recommend it for walking toddlers since they will love chasing after the balls.
A+ from this parent on this one!