Hasbro Playskool Busy Ball Popper

With this toy you push the plunger, the music starts and the balls begin popping out of the top, rolling down the shoot and popping out the top again. Sometimes the balls just keep going through the circuit and sometimes they fly out of the toy and roll across the floor. My daughters enjoy it all!

From a parent point, the negatives are that the music is a little annoying and the five balls roll all over and need to be picked up again and again. The positive is that it keeps my little ones engrossed. The 3 1/2 year old can operate it all by herself and the 1 year old can play with it with only a little assistance from me (helping her corral loose balls and pushing the plunger).

We haven't had any trouble with the sturdiness of the balls, but the yellow funnel does get knocked off occasionally. It goes back on easily enough, but disrupts the play temporarily.

Bottom line is that we really like this toy and are happy to have it in our toy collection


WOW! What a GREAT toy!   November 10, 2003
One Strong Opinion (Austin, TX USA)
68 out of 71 found this review helpful

I first encountered this toy in a doctor's office and was amazed by its popularity. My 18 month-old son loved it as did ALL of the other kids in the office -- from about 9 mos to 5 years. The kids could not get enough of this toy. I got it for our own home, and its popularity remains high. I have given it as a birthday gift, and it has been a winner in those homes as well. The kids really do play with it endlessly. On that note, though, please know that this toy makes some NOISE, so if you are a person who can't stand noisy toys, this is NOT the toy for your house.


Entertains all ages   March 7, 2007
Mom_2_4_boyz (Mesa, AZ)
25 out of 25 found this review helpful

We got this toy for our baby to "grow" into... but it seems that each of her older brothers has played with it more than she ever can. The music plays so loud and fast that it stresses me out listening to it. I wonder if it might be overstimulation for the baby. It plays songs like "flight of the bumble bee" and "pop goes the weasle" (among other songs) I was going to discontect the sound wires, but I think the music is there too cover up the noise the motor makes. The balls are fun to watch, going around and around. I would say there is more fun to this toy than learning, but then again, all play is some type of learning, right? I would suggest you go to the Hasbro site and order replacement balls right away, they get lost quickly and it doesn't work right without all 5 balls. It is $4 for a pack of 5 balls.


What colorful, musical fun!   August 5, 2004
frisky2000 (smallville)
21 out of 23 found this review helpful

Our 20 month old played with this at a friend's house and didn't want to put it away, which is not like her since she bores easily with most toys. We purchased one for her and the moment she sets it down to play, her face lights up, she squeals with delight when she presses the big red ball to start the action, and then once the balls start popping in the air, she is overjoyed.

The colorful balls are placed in the chute on top of the unit, then as they slide down the ramp, the air popper forces them up through the top hole and they pop around like popcorn! We watch our daughter laugh and have a blast with this toy all the time, but she is learning so much from it as well. First she learned cause and effect when pushing the red lever to start the machine. She learned that the music will not start until the balls begin moving. Next she learned where to place the balls, and how to catch them if they scooted away, and finally she learned words like BALL, STOP, OUT, PLAY, DANCE just from the repetition of the activities. The fun music reminds me of a circus parade and several songs randomly play while the popper is activated.

Storage is a snap since it's heavy enough to stay upright while playing, and light enough to grab and go when it's time to clean up. There are three main pieces that an adult has to screw together, and though a child might be able to pry off the top piece, it easily snaps back into place. Just don't lift it from the top piece and you shouldn't have a problem.

I recommend this toy for babies who are able to sit up unassisted so that an adult can help them play with the balls, but highly recommend it for walking toddlers since they will love chasing after the balls.
A+ from this parent on this one!


fun toy, but balls are not durable   October 12, 2003
Denise Milmerstadt (Brookfield, CT United States)
14 out of 15 found this review helpful

I bought this toy for my triplet girls, when they were 9 months old. They really enjoyed it, and they soon learned how to start the machine on their own. They did need help collecting the balls and placing them back in the machine. One major flaw is the quality of the balls. My girls literally chewed them up. One ball ended up getting squooshed so much that it cracked, and once that happens it can't get lifted through the air tube. We're now down to 3 (out of 5) balls, and they are all in bad shape -- the surfaces are all chewed up and rough, and they do not go through the tube very smoothly. It renders the toy basically useless. When I sent $ to Hasbro for replacement balls, they were not in stock, and they could not tell me when they would be in stock. So now the toy has lost a lot of its appeal.