Baby Product Reviews

First Swingball by Mookie

Now the excitement and fun of Swingball is available for the Pre-School market. Swingball is the Classic outdoor brand and is celebrating 30 years of family fun and entertainment. To celebrate this amazing achievement Mookie is launching ‘First Swingball’.

First Swingball - The first ever Pre-school Swingball range designed for children aged 3 years plus. Loose Loop Tether - a patented spiral head and tether gives unrivalled smoothness of play. The opening loop design ensures resetting the game is simple and safe for the smallest of hands.

Soft sponge ball for safe and active play. The unique checkerbats with their tri-lattice construction means the bat is easy and safe to hold, lightweight, strong and durable. The large face profile of the bat provides an enlarged playing surface enabling pre-school children the possibility to learn to play the game and develop hand and eye co-ordination with ease.

The revolutionary All Surface Base delivers easy storage and portability and is playable on any surface. All Surface means it can stand on just about anything.  Just fill the base with water or sand, or another available ballast and this anchors and stabilises the pole during play. When the game is over just empty the base of its water, or sand contents, pack all the components away in the base and close the lid. Ready to transport anywhere.

Please call Mookie on 01525 722722 for nearest stockist information.

Reviewed by Josie:

For us, outdoor toys would normally mean hours spent assembling the unit, then an hour's play (before it rains), then a further hour trying to disassemble the thing... but not the First Swingball by Mookie!

It was easy to assemble. Everything clicked into place and the centre pole is height adjustable, depending on the age and ability of the players.

The base is a hollow box that you can fill with water or sand to keep it steady. Once filled, you can snap the large lid back in place. We found that it was better to use sand, although you can't go wrong with using water and a few odd bricks! Since our garden is on a slope, stability was not a problem for the Swingball.

By simply removing a section from the centre pole, you can reduce its height, giving a better reach for smaller children. My 5 year old daughter played together with our 3 year old next door neighbour and you could tell by their screams of laughter, they were having fun! It is a versatile toy - both children and adults can have fun with it.

My only criticism is that the foam ball could have been a little heavier to accommodate windy conditions. We found that the children were not able to strike their target too well when it's a bit blowy outside. The other problem was that the centre pole would come loose if the game got a little energetic. This meant that you had to stop the game to re-adjust the pole. Despite that, it was great fun.

The First Swingball comes in a handy carry case, making it great for taking to the beach or the park and easy to stow away when not in use.

Pros Easy to assemble Lots of fun for children Adjustable elements as the child grows or becomes more confident. Easy to put away Portable and useful Great fun for Adults too!		Cons Foam Ball is a little too light for windy conditions Centre pole loses its grip as game progresses.
**BabyHedgehog Rating** 4.5 out of 5