Playskool Busy Ball-Tivity Center
by Hasbro
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Our Price: $40.00 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $33.99 (click here) Category: Toy See more product details |
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Toys and Games Reviews of Playskool Busy Ball-Tivity Center
Customer Review: He likes it More and More!
Summary: 3 Stars
We got this for Christmas and didn't really use it much until he could sit up with the exception of a few time during tummy time. He was attracted to the music and action at that time, so we couldn't wait until he could sit up. Well, that day came and I'm caught in the middle of how much I like this thing. My now 7 month old does seem to like it well enough and wiggles his way over to it when we get it out. He's even starting to know how to push the ladybug himself to make the music play, so thats a plus! But there are some definite CONS:
*Does blow out cold air, which doesn't help on the floor where it's already colder than anywhere else. His poor little hands are always cold, so I have to stop the session short sometimes.
*The toys fall off their stands WAY to easy! He like to watch the movement, but with one grab they're all off, and the fun is over until I replace them. Too much to constantly look for and redo if your trying to keep them occupied. Not so bad if you're having playtime with your angel and enjoy the interaction like I do.
*Is shaped weird as where it is hard to find a place for baby to sit in front of, as one reviewer mentioned. Not really any good spots made just for that. Always afraid he's going to topple forward and hit one of the hard animals!!
Some PROS:
*We like the music.
*Keeps his attention for long periods when I'm playing with him or until he gets old enough to replace the balls and animals himself.
*Is learning cause and effect
I guess thats really about it. He like it, so I guess that's all that matters. My friends 2 yr old son comes over and likes to play also. I Still can't help but wish I would have gotten the ball popper though. Looks WAY more fun!
My son will be 1 in less than 3 weeks, and he LOVES this thing. Winter is right around the corner so I will have to watch that cold air, but he can now place the balls where they go. He especially loves the "floating" ball since I took a sharpie and drew polka dots on it, so he could see it spin. The toys falling are much less a problem now, as is my worries that he will fall forward onto it. He is good to go, and I give this toy 2 thumbs up! Glad I didnt get the ball popper after reading of all the little arms that have gotten stuck in those things!
13 Mo old and loving this thing more and more! He plays with this thing more than anything else all day. Thats the one thing I can count on hearing. Wish I could find extra balls tho. Maybe I'll call and see if they sell them. Maybe its just for a little older kids than when I started. Still 2 thumbs up!
Customer Review: Busy Ball-Tivity Center VS Busy Ball Choo-Choo
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a really great toy! I bought this for my 9 month old grandaughter but my 3 yr old grandaughter plays with it all the time... the 9 month old crawls after her to get to this toy! There are numerous fine-motor challenges with this toy besides being totally cute! The animals are removable and the kids do play with them independent of the toy itself. It is a toy that the kids can use over the course of several years so that makes it a good value purchase due to usably/motor development challenges... honestly though the biggest factor is they both keep playing with this toy over and over!
The only real downside I can find , which is strictly a matter of opinion, is there is no master shut-off switch on the bottom like the Busy Basics Busy Ball Choo-Choo, there is just an on/off button on the top which acts as the master switch... to activate the music and motion you push the ladybug seen in the pictures.
I bought the Busy Basics Busy Ball Choo-Choo at the same time and the balls can be inter-changed with the Busy Ball-Tivity Center...a definite plus!
IMO: Motor-skills wise the Busy Ball-Tivity Center is GREAT to assist in development, there are challenges a child can seek there; with the Choo-choo there are limited challenges for a child, but it is a very cute toy.
FYI---If you could only buy one THE hands-down favorite of both grandchildren is the Busy Ball-Tivity Center!!! Hope this review helps you make a more informed purchase.
Customer Review: great for 5 months and 27 months+
Summary: 5 Stars
We got the ball-tivity center for christmas this year, and both my daughters loved it instantly! My oldest, 20 months at the time instantly loved pushing the button, making the ball spin in the dish, and stacking the moving parts over and over. I was surprised at how entranced she was, and I could see her manual dexterity improve with practice. You'd think with just six parts and the base they'd get bored pretty quick, but I see this toy (or parts of it) getting used quite frequently. My second, 5 months at the time, loved watching the balls go and watching my oldest stack the parts. Not that I'm a connoisseur of musical children's toys, but this is the least offensive of the lot....and it's a pretty nice jaunty little tune. The action button (a red ladybug) makes different sounds every time, and for whatever reason I like the monkey one. I think my youngest managed to intentionally use the button around 6 or 7 months. Today my kids are 27 months and 11 months. Both still love it and we've never hidden it from them. Way to go Playskool! My oldest turns the elephant over, puts a ball in it and calls it ice cream - so cute! Our kids play with it pretty much every day, and the batteries have lasted about 4 months. That's pretty amazing for a fan. There is always enough air pressure to make all three stackers move, and blow the three balls around the dish (or two in the dish and one floating) - another mark of a good design.Customer Review: Really fun toy - a few criticisms
Summary: 4 Stars
Playskool could film an ad using my 10 month old's reaction to seeing this in action for the first time. He squealed with delight, grinned, clapped his hands, and immediately wanted to interact with it. Obviously gains the attention of its target audience. My 3 year old is also interested in the toy, so I'm assuming it has "legs" and will provide entertainment throughout the toddler years.
Here are my cons:
1. It is noisy. The music is loud, and there is no option to lower or shut off the volume. I find this really annoying, and will probably either tape over the speaker to muffle it, or even dismantle the toy to see if I can shut the music off internally. Would be great to have a volume option - seems like a no brainer.
2. The pneumatic air action lasts only FIFTEEN SECONDS (yes, I timed it), before shutting off and requiring another activation. I assume my 10 mo will figure out how to restart it eventually, but right now it shuts down and he wanders off unless I (or his big sister) sit and restart it. Come on, couldn't we have had 30-60 seconds of play??
3. Only three balls are included, and they are bound to get lost or damaged. Five or six balls would have been nice.
Otherwise, this is a lot of fun, although I am glad that I got it on Amazon's huge pre-Xmas sale and didn't pay regular price for it. For less than ten bucks, it was a great deal.
Customer Review: I paid WHAT for this? Not a very good toy at all !!!!
Summary: 2 Stars
For almost thirty bucks and then 4D batteries, this toy is SOOOOO not worth it. I read a lot of reviews that said how much their child enjoyed it for hours and there was soooo much going on......NOT! It comes with 3 balls that go around and around in a circular motion from air...my baby watched that for all of 30 seconds...NEXT! It plays music, really loud music...and not even good music for a baby...NEXT! It has 3 "stackable" toys that can be placed on top of air vents to do various things (a palm tree that spins, an alligator that flaps his mouth, and a hippo-like thing that has something that spins). I say "stackable" because they aren't really stackable at all...the slightest touch and everything falls off. Baby can't even try to touch the spinning things to understand it without it falling off. The recommended age is 9 months...I don't know very many 9 month olds that could knock these "stackable" toys over and then know where & how to correctly replace them on the air vents...NEXT!! Oh wait, that's it...time for a new toy!
2 stars only because I do like the bright colors and think the whole air-idea is brilliant...but it didn't keep my babies attention for longer than a few minutes and so isn't worth what I paid.