Having two boys Christmas can soon become very expensive. So last Christmas I decided that I would buy a relatively large present for each and then top them up with lots of smaller gifts, that way they feel they are getting more but it costs me somewhat less... Supposedly!! Argos frequently has 2 for £15 offers and this is where I purchased this item. Effectively it only cost me £7.50 but you can also purchase them individually for £9.99. I have also seen them in amazon for £9.99. There are two colour choices available pink and blue, my son has the blue, not that my boys worry about gender stereotypes but this was the one on the 2 for £15 offer. My son loves this and still plays with it a year on, although a warning to parents, it can become annoying very quickly as when the ball has been left unused but not turned off keeps saying "I see you". So I have to turn it off when he has finished with it.

It's made of bright yellow and blue plastic and has several panels of soft fabric in red, blue and green, which is good from a sensory perspective. There are ovals on each plastic panel each with little animals embossed in them. The animals are a cute little rabbit, cat and bird. When these are pressed the ball tells you what the picture is. The top has a star which when pressed pops up and what I think is a little blue bear jumps out, making my little one laugh because he says "I see you". It pops up very gently and smoothly slides back in place with no issue of trapped fingers. The star on the outside is yellow and flashes in time with the tunes that the ball plays. There is an on/off switch and two volume choices. The highest volume is very loud and can be quite annoying but the lowest volume option is just perfect. Although my son has now discovered how to make it louder and prefers it that way, much to my frustration. The ball is quite robust and well-made and has been thrown many, many times with no damage to either it or my laminate floor, which is a bonus. The only problem I have found is that my son has dropped it on his toes and although it didn't do any damage it did hurt him.

The ball is around 11.5cm in diameter and weighs around 300g. It is a perfect size for little hands to hold. It is a very stimulating toy for younger children and aids motor skill development as they grow. It is also very entertaining for children who enjoy the tunes and soft comforting female voice. It states that it is suitable for over 3 months, and I think this would be ideal for encouraging rolling over and crawling. It takes two AA batteries which came supplied in mine. They are replaceable by simply unscrewing the bottom. My son still enjoys playing with this toy at two and a half but it's more for entertainment, although because he has speech and language difficulties I think the repetitive words can be useful to him, helping him with his language.

Overall a fantastic stimulating and development toy that I would highly recommend to anyone with young children.