Gymnic - 'Hop Fantasy' 18" Hop Ball

from Gymnic

So finally we get to a nice Bouncy Ball. This is actually a ball that's a ton of fun, if you've ever tried it when you were little. There were a number of memorable things in my youth that I hope my kid enjoys as much as I. First was the pogo stick (no pub intended) and the other one was the Hop Ball, and I loved that huge rubber ball with a handle, that let me bounce and enjoy the feel of wind and that funny stomach turning inside out feeling.



To get into some details about this 18" Hop Ball it's made from super strong vinyl, and it's phthalate free (who knows how these things end up in one's mouth anyway). It help a child develop balance, and it's a way to exercise (don't mention this part to your little one). All in all it's a classic.

Pros: great, timeless toy, fun for your little
Cons: I can't think of any
Age: 3yr+

Final Verdict: Keep It!

Price: $25.99 at Amazon.com

Kids Preferred Amazing Baby Sound Balls Review

from Kids Preferred

Ok, so maybe not all the Balls need to be jumpy and skippy and made of rubber. I mean here's a really wonderful set that your little one will simply adore. There are total of three Sound Balls that come in a 12 inch plastic tube. Each ball has unique quality for your little one to enjoy for a long time (you know, play with one, then switch over, then forget where he started, and so on...) One ball chimes, one jingles, and one crinkles. They're also very colorful, and soft, so you'll really see your little one's eyes light up and begin to study them.

There are certain complaints, of course, and people say that the balls are actually smaller than expected, but personally when I saw that the tube that holds them is only 12 inches I kinda had the idea. Also there is talk that there's some chemical that's banned in California that's in these balls, but I don't know how true that is because I wasn't able to find any support evidence.

Pros: colorful, will keep your little one lit up for hours, great design
Cons: smaller then you'd expect, but that's about it
Age: 6mo+

Final Verdict: Keep it!

Price: $13.87 at Amazon.com

Tiny Love - Activity Ball Review

from Tiny Love

So this is a great looking toy, and it has a lot of surprises. Although it's called an Activity Ball it doesn't really bounce, and it's not very round either (for that matter) :). This Activity Ball has 5 sounds and a bunch of different texture. It's also great for those still interested in chewing everything in their path (like my son). There is a head that pulls out/pops up and it rattles.



Peek-a-boo head has a rattle and it pops up, there are 5 electronic sounds, there are a few rattles and many different textures to explore. Some feel, however that this toy lacks stimulation, and it's difficult to operate for those little hands. The head is hard to move and pull out, so your little will require assistance.



Pros: an interesting concept, and visually stimulating, but to fully enjoy assistance (from adults) is needed
Cons: as I said before it's a little difficult to move some of the "movable" parts, especially for little hands, and it's just not that much fun, judging on how fast my son dismisses it... so see my verdict below.
Age: 6mo+

Final Verdict: Skip It!

Price: $19.95 at Amazon.com

Vtech - Move & Crawl Ball Review

from Vtech

I'm sure you're wondering when I'm going to be getting to actual ball that jump. Well, soon, I assure you! Meanwhile lets quickly look at this electronic roll-a-ball-move-and-crawl thing. So it's all musical and moves on its own. It responds to rolling, and there are many lights. There are six animal buttons that also emit animal sounds. So it's designed with that in mind, that your little one will learn animals!



Now I've written about Vtech before, and as you can see Vtech makes techy toys, and truth is I really love the laptop, and my son loves it too. I kinda understand where they're coming from with this ball, except no one expects a ball to be a computer. Plus the motor that makes it roll is kinds loud (and you can hear it in the videos). This scares some children. So to be objective I just want to say that you should weigh all the options that are important to you, and decide for yourself. My verdict is below.



Pros: musical, with lights, teaches animals
Cons: there are a lot of cons to consider. It's too heavy up until about 1yo, it's spontaneous, and this happens to scare some children. It's a little loud, and while moving it can hit a baby. It's too heavy to pick up. It's spontaneous, it moves around and will hit the baby, which scares her. It also doesn't give the child enough time to find the animals (about 30 seconds) and most kids at 6 months to a year take a bit more than that.
Age: 6mo+

Final Verdict: Skip It!

Price: $10.95 at Amazon.com

Haba - Colori Stacking Ball Review

from HABA

I love Haba, they have almost no crappy toys. This is a really great First Ball for many reasons. It can make a great toy from very early on, and being that this "onion" has many "layers" your little one can enjoy it for a long time. This isn't your bouncy ball, but it has five stacking parts (which also makes it a stacking toy) and these parts all make different sounds, rattles, squeaks and rustles and babies like that! Younger one's will just roll it around and chew on it, while older kids will take it apart and develop motor skills.



Of course it's also a really great tactile toy as well as visually. It's also the winner of Creative Child's Toy 2008.


Pros: great ball from the get go, your little one will enjoy it whether just rolling it around or when taking it apart.
Cons: too difficult to get the pieces off and on - they are too tight
Age: 3mo+

Final Verdict: Keep It!

Price: $17.99 at oompa.com

Wonderworld Peek-a-boo Ball Review

from Wonderworld

So here we have another non-bouncy Peek-a-boo Ball, but rather a wooden one, which makes it great at rolling around. The smiley faces pop up or get stuck inside... either way they're there. So it's made from all natural environmentally friendly rubberwood and non-toxic water-based paints.



Although initially I found the idea and the design to be appealing, but after taking a close look I found it to be pretty useless. My 6 months old son was extremely frustrated with it, he couldn't really get a good grip on it, and couldn't really bit down. Plus those pop-up faces are kinda useless... So they might have as well just make a completely wooden ball and paint it different colors (I'm sure it exists somewhere, but it's just not for me).

Pros: great idea with pop-up faces, helps to develop hand-eye coordination
Cons: pop-up faces are useless, it's difficult to handle for your little one

Age: 6mo+

Final Verdict: Skip it!

Price: $11.00 at Amazon.com

Giant Personalized Ball Review

from Handmade Pretties

So there are of course those bouncy rubber balls, and then there are those soft kinds that are just fun to fall onto (remember those big bean bag chairs you used to have?) Well, this isn't exactly it but for your little one this is a perfect oversized Soft Ball to play with and fall on to... They are all hand made from soft fleece and stuffed with fiberfill. Really great for playing with your little one inside the home.



The upside to these balls being hand made is that they're all unique, so you can be sure that no one else will ever have what you have. They can be customized to your preferred color and your little one's name. They are made by Handmade Pretties.

Wipe clean with a damp cloth or wash as you would a pillow. Air dry.

Pros: soft and personal. Very cute and very soft, and they make a great gift.
Cons: nothing bad to say really, they're great!
Age: 6mo+

Final Verdict: keep it!

Price: $30.00 at Etsy.com