For the first few years of my daughters life we didn't have a garden at all and paddling was something we kept for the the local park. She loved splashing around in the water, she has since birth, and I wished many a time through the summer that we did have an outdoor area to put her own paddling pool up in. When we did move into our new house with a lovely grassed back garden we were blessed with a particularly lovely summer and we were able to buy her first little inflatable pool.

I came across this FiFi set almost by chance on the first hot day of the summer two years ago. I was shopping in Mothercare and noticed this three piece set on sale for half price. Originally priced at around £20, it seemed a bargain at just £9.99 (although this seems the standard price for the set on sites like Amazon now) As she was a big fan of FiFi, and with extras I hadn't been particularly planning on buying but seemed useful, I snapped it up.

The pool got used for the first time that very first day. I'd been on my way to a friends house for our children to play together and a bit of a picnic, and as her pool was broken it came in very useful. I was quite surprised by the size of the paddling pool, which seemed a bit bigger than standard inflatable pools, especially as it was packed so compactly in a box. Straight away I was impressed with the quality of the plastic, which seemed extremely strong and durable and looked fantastic. The pool has three inflatable rings, with two valves to blow air in the top ring and then the second and third rings together. I blew this up myself, and it did take quite a bit of puff to get it fully inflated requiring a couple of little breaks. Once it's fully blown up the stopper valves are then shut and pressed into the pool to stop them popping open. This is where I find the only fault with this toy, in that the stoppers are very tight and are difficult and fiddly to press in flat to the pool. It takes me quite a few tries with the stopper popping out annoyingly in the mean time. It's only a minor problem, more of a slight annoyance really, but one worth mentioning. Once the pool is inflated and the valves closed properly the pool looks great. The sides are a good depth, especially for slightly older children and there's a good amount of space inside for three small children to play comfortably. The flat bottom also has a handy plug, so emptying the pool is very easy, just a case of opening it and leaving it.

The pool was very much enjoyed that day by the children and my friend and I (who enjoyed cooling our feet in) and was a huge hit. Since then it's been used at least 40 times over the last two summers. As my daughter got a little older she invented new ways to use the pool, her favourite is having the end of her slide placed into it. She loves going down the slide, landing with a splash and skidding over the edge of the pool. She also likes pouring bubbles in it and having a 'bath' outside. Because it has a better depth than other small paddling pools it's grown with her and I fully expect it to be dragged out again this summer. The pool has taken a lot of stress from my daughter, the slide and some of the toys she's had in it yet we're going into our third summer now without a single puncture. Pretty impressive in my opinion!

Despite not looking to buy the other two items, they have also been very useful. In particular the ring which my daughter used weekly as a swimming aid in the local pool before she learned to swim herself, prefering it to arm bands. Because it held her so well in the water it left me hands free beside her allowing us to play together easily without me constantly holding her up. Again, the quality is of a high standard and the size would comfortable fit a child aged between 3 and 7 years old. While we no longer use this item, it remains in perfect condition. The ball has perhaps been the least used item although has had a few outings while on holiday, however it will be coming again this year and has endured some pretty boisterous play yet remains in perfect condition.

I'm really pleased with this set, in particular the pool and ring. My daughter has had 2 summers use out of it already and another one coming up, which has far exceeded my expectations. Apart from the tight fitting vlaves, this set is high quality, looks great and has provided many hours of fun for just under a £10, which makes it a winner in my eyes. I'd highly recommend this set to other parents looking for something similar and would say it's suitable for all ages up to 7 years. Even if you don't particularly want the other two items the paddling pool is worth the money on it's own!