Kids/Baby, Reviews/Giveaways

{Everything Summer} HearthSong Great Big Outdoor Playball Review and Giveaway {CLOSED}

Nicole Anderson / June 10, 2010
HearthSong has a lot of really great toys.  They have toys for imaginative play, outdoor play, games and puzzles, arts and crafts, and so much more.  Not too long ago, I worked with HearthSong on a review of their Crafty Egg Decorating kit and was given another great opportunity to work with them again.  This time, my family was sent their 52 inch Great Big Outdoor Playball for our use and review!  The GBOP is from HearthSong’s amazing HS Active Collection.  Included in their HS Active Collection are a lot of great toys to get kids outside!
The Great Big Outdoor Playball is a whopping 52 inches!  They also have a GBOP Jr which is 36 inches which is great for ages 3 years and older.  If the 52 inch GBOP isn’t big enough for you, check out their Incred-A-Ball which is a 65 inch ball!  When we first recieved our Great Big Outdoor Playball, our kids couldn’t wait to get it outside to play with it.  I have never seen them so excited about something before.  Unfortunately, the day we recieved it, it was raining.  It actually took a while before we could get outside because we went through a period when all we had was rain.  My husband really wanted to inflate it and after waiting and waiting, he decided to inflate it inside.

Even though we knew it was 52 inches, we still wanted to actually see it.  When you say 52 inches, you know it’s big but you don’t realize just how big until it’s sitting in your living room!  I would not suggest inflating it indoors by the way unless you have really big doors.  This was something that my husband didn’t think about and we couldn’t get it out the front door!  We had to deflate half of it to get it outside.  This wasn’t too much of a problem because along with the GBOP, HearthSong also sent us this amazing air pump that inflated pretty quickly and actually has a reverse feature to deflate it for you!
The biggest thing that I love about the GBOP is that instead of being made like a beach ball, it is made up of a lot of different sections.  Each one of these sections fill up with air individually which may sound like a pain but really it’s a great thing it was designed this way.  For one thing, it was easier to deflate half of it to get it out our front door, but it’s a safety feature.  Your kids can actually climb inside the ball so if your GBOP happens to get puctured, you are only going to have that one section deflate so that the whole thing doesn’t collapse on your kids if they are inside.
Our kids absolutely love the Great Big Outdoor Playball!  The 52 inch version is recommended for ages 6 and older but I felt it was okay for our 4 year old son to play with it along with his sister.  If you only have smaller kids, I would probably go with the smaller version because this ball really is pretty big!
It’s fun to push around the yard!
Climb inside!
Or jump inside and roll down the hill!
The GBOP doesn’t really roll very fast down a hill (at least with your child inside) which was what I was worried about.  The way it’s designed doesn’t really allow it to get out of control.  With my daughter’s weight and the fact that it’s an inflated ball, she has control the whole time.  I would recommend that your child moves around in the ball like a hampster does in his hampster ball only so that they don’t flop around all over the place inside.  When she was going down the hill, she was lying flat although she wasn’t bouncing around that much but still I think it’s safer the other way.  She can also move around in the ball a lot easier that way.
At first our son wouldn’t get inside of it but eventually he did when his sister was in it.  I don’t let them move around in the ball with both of them inside it though.  If they are just sitting inside of it, I don’t mind.  I was actually surprised that our daughter got inside of it due to her autistic tendencies.  She is afraid of doing anything that is new and the GBOP has slightly opened the doors for other things.  I think it’s kind of therapeutic for her and kind of goes along with some of the things she does in occupational therapy. 
The Great Big Outdoor Playball is made really well.  The material is rather thick and even though it comes with a couple patches in case you need to make a repair, we still haven’t had to.  We even get all kinds of little sticks in our yard all the time too.  We do pick them up when we see them though.  Keep in mind that when it is hot outside, it gets hot inside the ball too.  That’s only to be expected so every now and then, I make our kids get out of it for a break. 
We absolutely love the Great Big Outdoor Ball from HearthSong and our kids now have a new favorite outside toy.  I think their swingset is getting a much deserved break!  I think the GBOP is a great way to get kids active as it sure has gotten our kids active!
The product was sent to me for free by the company for my use and review. I was not paid to write my review and my opinions are 100% my own.
Buy It:  Visit HearthSong to buy your Great Big Outdoor Playball!  Don’t forget to check out all their other great products including a lot of really great toys and outdoor items for the outdoors this summer!
Win It!  HearthSong is very generously giving my readers a chance to win a GBOP ($60 value) for themselves! One of my lucky readers will win! 
Before entering, you must be a follower of my blog or become a follower of my blog via Google Friend Connect publicly

Mandatory Entry

*Visit HearthSong and tell me what other products you would love to have (1 entry)

Be sure to leave your EMAIL address in your comments so that I know how to contact you if you win! All entries will be checked and if there are any comments that do not count or qualify as an entry, they will be deleted. Leave a separate comment for each entry so that they are counted correctly. For example, if you post my button somewhere, leave 3 separate comments since it is worth 3 entries.

You must complete Mandatory Entry before you can complete any additional entries

Extra Entries

*Follow me (dustinnikki) on Twitter (1 entry)
*Connect with HearthSong on Facebook (1 entry)
*Subscribe to my blog via email (1 entry)
*Subscribe to my blog via Feed (1 entry)

*Tweet about my giveaway and leave a URL of your tweet in a comment so that I can verify your tweet (1 entry and can be done once daily) Leave a comment with URL each time you tweet

HearthSong Great Big Outdoor Playball Review and Giveaway http://goo.gl/fb/I0Tm3 @dustinnikki

*Grab my button and place it on your blog or website and tell me where it is by leaving a link in your comment so that I can check (3 entries)

*Write about my giveaway on your blog or website and link it back here to my giveaway post and abck to HearthSong and leave a URL directly to your post in a comment (3 entries) Please do not re-post my review

*Enter any of my other current giveaways (1 entry for each one) Let me know which ones that you entered in a separate comment. Limit 3 entries per this method although I encourage you to enter them all!

*Comment on any of my non-giveaway posts (1 entry for each one) and let me know which ones in a separate comment. Limit 3 entries per this method (Labeled non-giveaway posts to make it easy) but I love comments so feel free to comment on as many as you like!

Giveaway is open to US.  Giveaway will end July 1 @ 11:59 PM (EST). Winner will be chosen using random.org. Winner will have 48 hours to respond after I contact via email. If winner does not respond, a new winner will be chosen. Good Luck!

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About Nicole Anderson

My name is Nicole and I write DustinNikki Mommy of Three. I enjoy writing product reviews and hosting giveaways. I have been married to my high school sweetheart for 20 years and we have three kids. When I am not terribly busy running someone to band or soccer practices, I find some time to write. I also like to write about my kids, family and life. My family enjoys the outdoors - hiking, canoeing, and exploring things we haven't seen or been before. Thanks for stopping by and checking out my blog!
View all posts by Nicole Anderson →

292 thoughts on “{Everything Summer} HearthSong Great Big Outdoor Playball Review and Giveaway {CLOSED}”

  21. I have your button on my site! #3

    ChicagoCouponConfessions.blogspot.com

    (Right sidebar)

    TaraTagli at gmail dot com

  22. I have your button on my site! #2

    ChicagoCouponConfessions.blogspot.com

    (Right sidebar)

    TaraTagli at gmail dot com

  23. I have your button on my site! #1

    ChicagoCouponConfessions.blogspot.com

    (Right sidebar)

    TaraTagli at gmail dot com

  27. I love the Water Wheel! How cool!

    I follow you publicly on Google Friend Connect!

    Taratagli at gmail dot com

  64. I entered your My Lip Stuff giveaway!

    thecountryblossom AT hotmail DOT com

  65. I like hearthsong on Facebook! Katy Mc. Ald.

    thecountryblossom AT hotmail DOT com

  66. I am following you on Twitter! KatyLMA

    thecountryblossom aT hotmail DOT com

  67. I am a blog follower! 🙂

    My kids would love the sandbox, the dollhouse, the puppets, the backyard playhouse…gosh, I could go on!!! What fantastic items they have there! Thank you for the chance to win!

    thecountryblossom AT hotmail DOT com

  71. I also like HearthSong on Facebook (Amanda Davis) Thank you!

    buckeye7081 at gmail dot com

  72. I'm following dustinnikki on Twitter @amandapersists — Thanks again!

    buckeye7081 at gmail dot com

  73. Oh my golly, the kids would have so much fun with that! I checked out Hearthsong and I also LOVE the Fun Ride (Zip line!) I had no idea they sold those! I'll have to save up for one. Thanks so much for the chance to win!!

    I'm a follower, by the way!

    buckeye7081 at gmail dot com

  115. I follow your blog, and besides the ball I also like the hopscotch play mat!

    mphin278 at yahoo dot com

  129. The Radio Flyer The Inchworm Ride-On is really cute. Thanks for the chance. bekki1820cb at gmail

  138. I think the Play & Freeze Ice Cream Maker would be fun to have.
    ozzykelley1(at)yahoo(dot)com

    I am a follower.

  154. My kids would love the Wooden Stencils Kit, too. Thanks for the chance to win!
    mrsmchappell at gmail dot com

  164. The Kick Croquet Game looks like good fun exercise! I also love their products for travel, like the On-The-Go Animals, and the book-String Games!
    I follow publicly with Google Friend Connect.

    [email protected]

  176. I entered your Guide Craft Big Rigs Dump Truck Giveaway.
    susaaan {at} gmail {dot} com

  178. I entered your Annabel Karmel Top 100 Finger Foods Giveaway.
    susaaan {at} gmail {dot} com

  196. I'm following you – :)cokelush and I just received their catalogue; they have a ton of neat things! From the website: My granddaughter would love the Rocking SeeSaw.
    Thanks for the giveaway!
    cokelush at gmail

  292. I would absolutely love to get the Silly Soft Seating for my little guys! 🙂 Super cute! I especially like the green one!

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