Finding that my son had a love of the ball crawl at our local soft play centre, it seemed appropriate to get him something similar for home - albeit on a much smaller scale. We purchased a pop up pool and two sets of 100 coloured playballs on a 3 for 2 offer for outdoor toys from Early Learning. We purchased these in February but the offer is currently still running. The playballs come in sets of 100 for £10 and are suitable for babies from 9 months.

THE BALLS

The balls are packed neatly into a mesh case which is fastened with a green zip around the top so that it acts like a material box to keep the balls in. This is great as it keeps the balls neat and tidy but can expand where needed so that they are easy to pack away rather than the frustration of not packing a box quite right and being unable to shut the lid. There is also a green material handle on top so that you can carry them easily. The balls inside are various colours - red, blue, green and yellow. They are made of a smooth plastic and hollow so are very light.

PLAYTIME

Although we purchased these largely for outdoor play we have also used them in the pool indoors. We definitely needed the two sets of balls to fill the pool, which is not overly large. 100 balls sounds a lot but they don't go far and they only fill the bottom of the pool with a single layer. Two packs gives much more of a 'ball pit' feel.

The balls are lightweight but keep their form quite well - if my son sits on them he seems comfortable and they don't bother him. At the same time, they keep their form and shape well - they may dent occasionally but they pop back out easily. They also do not debt to give a sharp edge (which can be dangerous) like some playballs we have come across. This is also reassuring for me as a mother as my son still likes to put these in his mouth and bite on them - even this has, so far, not caused any lasting damage to the balls

My son enjoys playing with the balls, although only usually for small amounts of time at once (annoying when you have to set up and pack away and this sometimes takes up more time than he actually plays with them for...!). They are good for him to learn from - learning about the movement of balls and how to throw. I also believe they are good from a sensory perspective and in building his confidence and sense of adventure in different surroundings.

MY OPINION

I think that these playballs are well made and are lovely bright colours so great for stimulating younger babies. They hold their shape and form well so are great from a safety point of view as well as when thinking about longevity. I think that £10 for 100 balls is a great price (10p per ball) but, it is even better if you can pick these up on offer like we did. The net that they come in is great when it comes to storing these neatly and compactly and also if you need to take these anywhere. I would definitely recommend these balls if you are looking to create an indoor or outdoor ball pit.