After a year of dreaming of this moment my son is finally old enough to get a basketball set. Enter Little Tykes Basketball Hoop.
As a former college baseball player and sports enthusiast, getting a basketball hoop for my son was a foregone conclusion. I started my search as I typically do by reading owner reviews at various sites, Amazon, Babies R Us, and EBay. The one basketball set that consistently stood out was the Little Tikes EasyScore Basketball Set. After a few weeks of use I can see why this plastic hoop setup is at the top of many parents toy list. It is affordable, easy to set up, and fantastic for your son or daughter to use.
Cost and Assembly
I grabbed The Little Tikes EasyScore Basketball Set for only $30.70 with FREE shipping at Amazon.com. I was surprised by the cost, I thought I would be paying at least $50 for a quality set. The assembly was also simpler then I could have imagined, in five minutes you will be shooting hoops with your son or daughter.
Child Response
My son is 16-months old in the video I shot, which was done right after assembly. You will see just how much he loves it! This hoop instantly took over as his favorite toy in the house, and is now the center piece of his play room. As you will see he has learned how to throw the ball in the hoop, which happened in under a week. We clap and laugh when he makes a basket and he smiles and dances as the ball goes through the hoop and returns to him.
Features and Adjustability
One of the best features of the Little Tikes EasyScore Basketball Set is the ball return. The basket is designed so that when the ball goes through the hoop it hits the base of the basket and bounces back to you. The basketball set also has 5 different adjustable heights, ranging from 2 feet to 4 feet. This allows the toy to grow with your child, which in my opinion is always essential for parents (especially if you have multiple children at different ages and developmental stages).
Possible downsides
It was very difficult to find downside in this fully functional, well built, cheap, and easy to assemble basketball set. The one concern I do have is the nets durability. My son is constantly tugging and pulling at the net, it hasn’t broke, but it is pretty easy for a child to take it off its hook. Another possible downside is the fact that you have to fill the base with sand so it doesn’t topple over. I’d venture to say most of us don’t have a bag of sand handy. Water will work, but there is always a chance of a messy situation when water and children are involved. Neither of these concerns are enough to offset positives this toy will bring.
Summary
Due to the amount of fun my son and I have are having with the Little Tikes EasyScore Basketball Set. I would strongly recommend getting one for your family. The adjustability, solid construction, and most of all, the entertainment factor for your child will make this toy a parent MUST OWN. Hopefully, this review helped you in determining which Basketball Set is best for your child.