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Rhett Fifer photo
Poland, Warsaw
1 Level
722 Review
28 Karma

Review on πŸŽ‰ Step2 Busy Ball Play Table: The Ultimate Fun-Filled Activity Center! by Rhett Fifer

Revainrating 1 out of 5

Fails in many ways

Looks like an amazing water table in the photos. but it is a complete failure in many areas. There are instructions to get started. Like many toy instructions, they are printed in grayscale with small pictures. The pictures do not show which part is used and how this part is oriented. Color images would make things a lot easier, but they could at least use higher quality images that look better in black and white. That should be common sense. The red and blue parts look the same in grayscale, especially on a darker image. Luckily you have a picture of the packing box that you can use to indicate which parts go where. Assembly isn't very difficult, but it would be 100x easier if you knew what part is used in each step and what path is correct orientation or upside down etc. Once you've got everything assembled you'll understand how little thought and testing has gone into this product. The tower is too high for a toddler so they will get very frustrated trying to reach it and send the ball to the top receiver. Our three year old has to stand on tiptoe and lean against the table. This is an accident waiting in the wings. The next problem is that the tower isn't actually attached to the table. There are two slots on the front that should be attached to the two corresponding protruding lines on the table. The raised lines are rounded so the tabs/slots fall off immediately. There is no "snapping" to hold it. There's also no ledge at the back, so any force the rook learns forward with will cause it to bounce up and fall instantly. As baby bends down to reach the top of the tower, the natural movement for baby is to dip the ball (if he can reach it) and then pull it forward. You cannot leave them unattended as they will fall face first into the table/pool of water. Another thorn in the side of this water table would be ball launchers. They look like rounded measuring cups attached to the outside edge of a pool table. You pull the outer tab down and it catapults the ball to the top of the tower. The problem is that it's like a carnival game that almost never works. The balls are light and fly over the tower and out of play most of the time. Even if you launch it at the right angle and with the right force, it will usually bounce off the top as the holes are barely larger than balls and there is no back wall or raised rims to get the ball in. Basically, if you buy this water table, expect some disappointment from you, the parents and your child. and a healthy dose of injuries.

Pros
  • Good product for the price
Cons
  • weak