Hasbro Playskool Busy Ball Popper
by Hasbro
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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 |
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Toys and Games Reviews of Hasbro Playskool Busy Ball Popper
Customer Review: Fun, but ultimately a waste of money
Summary: 2 Stars
My kids LOVED this toy! The chasing after the balls was the best part for them. This toy got more use than any other in our playroom.
Unfortunately, we finally had to get rid of it.
1. While my children never put a limb down the chute, my toddler would stick all kind of other toys down there, and they would get stuck. We were often diassembling it to retrieve things. These balls are also just a tad smaller than ones that come with other popular toys. My kids were constantly putting balls from their other toys (which look identical) into it and they would get stuck, as well.
2. The batteries drain quickly. Unless there are very full batteries in it, there is not enough power for the fan to shoot out the balls. This becomes expensive over time!
3. As other people have said, it is incredibly loud. Don't even bother answering the phone if this toy is in the room!
4. The chute and plastic piece at the top come off very easily, and my toddler was constantly wrecking it. It seemed like every time it got knocked over, some piece would have to be re-aligned.
I really, really wish I could give this toy a good rating. After all, my kids had hours of fun with it. But when you factor in the hassle that it brings and its durability, it's DEFINITELY not worth it.
Customer Review: Very disappointed
Summary: 2 Stars
We asked for this for my daughter's first birthday because she is really into balls right now, so we thought it would be a lot of fun. I am very disappointed with it, however. While it CAN be fun, the balls fly out more than they stay in which seems to defeat the purpose of the game (why have a neat, open, tunnel inside if it's only used to blow them out). When starting one ball always flies out the back, so balls are just going everywhere. For my daughter, she'd rather watch it than chase them at this point.
Also, she has hurt herself three times already with this toy, and we've only had it for two days. It's terribly unsturdy, and any child at the age where s/he uses props to help stand up should not have this toy. My daughter doesn't even put her full weight on it, but the top always topples off sending her falling face down onto the rest of the toy. She hurt her head and cut her lip and, naturally, cried/whaled for mommy each time.
I've put this toy away for now while we decide if we want to take it back or wait it out hoping as she gets older, she'll enjoy it. What I know is that it's NOT a good toy for her right now, and with the new Laugh and Learn Learning House here now, she won't even miss it because she LOVES that thing, and it would stay standing if she went swingin on it.
Customer Review: My 12 month old ordered this (one of the downfalls of 1-click ;) but I would order it too!
Summary: 5 Stars
Hasbro Playskool Busy Ball Popper
I was browsing Amazon and had to leave the room for a minute. While I was gone, my 12-month old was bashing happily on the keyboard, and managed to order this through 1-click ordering (which means I couldn't cancel it!)
When it arrived we decided to give it a go, and it really has been fun!
PROS:
- It has an on/off switch
- There are not too many balls that they are everywhere
- It is a small, compact toy, and yet packs a punch
- My 7 yr old and 5 yr old love to see if they can catch the balls as they fly out the top. My 12 month old just loves it all round! Great entertainment value for a large age range.
CONS:
- You have to have all the balls in it for it to work properly. If you only have some of the balls they don't complete the circuit properly. We tend to have to look for a couple that have been carried around the house by the baby before we can use it properly.
- Uses 3 D size batteries. Batteries are always a con in my book ;) Wish things could just magically power themselves ;)
All in all, I'm glad this "mistake" order happended and I would definitely order it myself if I had to make the choice!
Customer Review: A few cons, but seems to have mass appeal
Summary: 4 Stars
I'm a speech therapist and like this toy because it seems to appeal to a lot of children, even (maybe especially) my difficult to entertain kids. The motion, visuals, and mechanical factor make it a fun toy for kids on the autistic spectrum as well and, surprisingly, even my sensory-sensitive kids seem to like it despite the loudness.
I just bought this toy two weeks ago, and it looks as if the company that makes it is trying to address some of the problems mentioned on this site. I noticed that on my ball popper the top portion of the tube, the place where a child would most likely get their arm stuck, snaps together and can be unsnapped if this situation occurs. It would still be possible for a child to get their arm stuck, however, if they took the top portion off or stuck it in the other hole where the balls go down the ramp. They need to have something that allows the whole front of the toy to snap off.
They also seem to have made the motor stronger, as the balls in mine do not get stuck but boy, do they go flying. If I don't round them up and put them back in every single ball is gone after about 15 seconds. This is somewhat irritating but the kids seem to like chasing the balls around the room, and I've found that moving up the top (funnel) portion of the toy helps.
Customer Review: Lots of fun, beware if you have a curious child!
Summary: 4 Stars
My son received this as a gift for his first birthday - I must say it is a big hit! My husband had no problem assembling it, either. However, as a parent you will probably find the music annoying after the first 30 or so times the child presses the plunger, but if you are good at ignoring things (or really don't mind "Good Night Ladies"), this is a fabulous addition to your toy chest. The only real downside is that the balls do completely pop out of the top and roll all over the place (outside the toy), so you have to be fast and toss them back in before the baby figures out the fun has stopped. It's a good workout! After a while, our child figured out the Mommy Ball Popper took a rest, and he started putting the balls back in himself. The other potential problem is that the balls from the Fisher Price Sit and Stand Giraffe fit in the chutes, but do not exactly pop out of the chutes (even when the toy is activated), so we have had to separate the two toys in our play area to help avoid ball confusion. It was a bit of a challenge to remove those, and the FP Little People from the Farm/Ark as well. I recommend using this in a confined area without a lot of places for the ball to roll (i.e. our gated play area) and having extra batteries on hand, because you'll need them. Jacob will wear this toy out!