I'm not a huge fan of noisy toys for children, because they are usually very annoying. But this is one of the few that I do not mind our children playing with. I don't mind because the noise is not too irritating and our kids have an absolute blast playing with it. The concept is simple: the gumballs are held in the top, and when the lever is pushed, one gumball falls down through the chute and out the bottom while some music plays. Our children enjoy the sound as well as the action of the ball rolling out. But the main reason I find it attractive is that it is educational for a young baby in multiple ways. For one, it teaches them some fine motor skills to pick up the balls and place them back in a particular hole at the top. It also takes these skills to work the lever. But it's also educational in that it teaches children the concept of cause and effect. They realize that if they push the lever, then something will happen that they like. It's one of the first steps in learning to think critically.

utlegospam

USA

We have had this Fisher Price Bubble Gum Machine for about nine years. It has lasted through four kids, and it is still going strong. This has flashing lights and has about three different short songs that it plays when you push the lever. It builds good hand-eye coordination, as well as teaching cause and effect. They learn to put the balls in the top, and then they push the lever to have one ball come rolling down just like a gum ball. The balls are also fun. Each ball has an animal, like a tiger, dinosaur, chick in an egg, or fun objects, like lollipops, diamond ring, etc. that spins around. Considering how long this Fisher Price gum ball machine has lasted and how much time was been spent playing with it, it is well worth the price. There are also a variety of balls available to purchase separately. The battery life on this toy is good toy. It helps that the child can still play with it while the toy is turned off.

KimcT

USA

This toy was my daughter's favorite toy when she turned around nine months old.  We were so impressed when she figured out how to put the balls in the top and hit the blue lever to make them circle down. The only thing that is a little weird is that the yellow lever in the front doesn't actually do anything.  The lights are cool to watch and the balls are fun too.  You can actually buy more balls that come in themed packs but I wouldn't recommend that because they all don't fit in the gum machine so you are stuck storing them somewhere.  All in all, this is a fun toy and at twenty months my daughter will still play with it from time to time. It has taken some rough abuse at playdates and still is in great working condition.  The only problem is that sometimes my daugther will put in toys that don't belong in it and they will get jammed.  So you do have to watch your child closely or you'll be unjamming the toy!

AGuarino85

San Diego, CA

The FIsher Price Bubble Gum Machine is wonderful for any infant or toddler working on fine motor skills. My nine month old figured out how to operate this toy fairly quickly. At first, he was in love with the gumballs that come with it because they have just eye catching items inside. One makes noise when you shake it, another has a diamond that catches the light, another has a swirling lollipop inside, and the other has a cute little teddy bear. The balls are the perfect size for him to pick up with one hand, so it's even easier for him to put the gumball inside the machine. The lever is easy to push and operate as well. However, the machine itself is a bit top-heavy and tips over. Once it tips over, my son is onto another toy, but for the most part he enjoys it. I really like how it has taught him cause and effect--he pushes the lever, the ball comes tumbling down. The music that plays when the lever is pushed is not annoying like some toys. I can definitely tolerate it!

momonamission33

Sussex, WI

My 6 month old is so tickled by this toy she got it for christmas and she can mash  the button on her own with some prompting and she likes the balls because they have interesting things inside of them like little plastic teddy bears, a big shiny diamond. But she really likes to try to eat the balls so I glad they are the soft plastic balls. She can also turn the little wind up but what fascinates her the moves is the whorly sound and watching the balls spin out of the machine. I bought this thinking it would encourage her to start crawling to crawl after the balls fat chance. The machine is very light I wish it had a heavier base because its tips over to easy. My daughter loves to press the button with her feet but she has no interest in learning how to place the balls back into the machine. It has a volume control button. The button is feature light that a child can easily learned to push the button. Also the bowl part of the machine lights up in pretty colors when you push the button.

mrsaprile

Chattanooga, TN

My son got the Fisher Price Bubble Gum Machine for his first birthday party, and it has been a hit! The bright colors and flashing lights are very visually appealing, and the music will keep your kids moving! This toy is very easy to use, and it is one that your one year old child can actully use themelsves! I really like that there are 2 settings for the volume, and the music is not as annoying as some of the other electronic toys that we have. My daughter who is in preschool, enjoys playing with this toy with her brother. The batteries have lasted for quite awhile, and it is made of durable plastic that has stood the test of time with 2 small children. The individual gumball are well made and have their own unique scene or picture in each ball. My biggest complaint about the ball is that they are VERY hard, and the perfect size for a preschooler to want to throw. Aside from that, we have LOVED this toy and I recommend it to anyone who is considering it!

gymnastjen78

Seattle, WA

My son received this toy when he was only a few months old.  He was too young to play with it, so we did in front of him.  We all had a really fun time.  As my baby grew, he was able to do more and more with the toy.  Finally the big day came when he could turn the toy on and off.  The next thing we knew, he was put the gum balls down the slide.  The made us all really happy.  Toys R Us, target and other places sell more gum balls id you need them.  If your baby is like mine though, you may not need extras.  My baby puts everything down there.  Some things work well and are very funny.  Some things get stuck, but they have all been easy to get out.  The cost of the toy itself is pretty good, but the extra balls may be a tiny bit pricey.  But like I said, you don't really need the extras. The toy comes with an instructions too.  The toy has brought us lots of fun and joy, so I would buy it again and recommend it.  

dolly1232

Grosse Pointe, MI

When we first got the Fisher Price Gumball Machine I thought that my daughter would love it and play with it for hours but no...she wasn't really interested.  I think that she became most interested in it when she was about 1 and a half or two.  I really like the peek-a-balls that came with it because they are versatile because they go with several of fisher price toys. I also like the little toys inside and how they do little actions, It makes them a lot more interesting to the kids.  I like the colors and the lights and I also like the music. I wish the music was a little longer and maybe had some words or songs that teach something rather than just a little jingle.  The little "coin turner" thing is kind of hard for small children to turn so I don't love that. I like how they made it see through so that the kids can watch the balls go in and then come out the bottom.  All in all it's a fun toy but not my favorite!

latkin12

Chico, CA

I love the Fisher Price Roll-a-Rounds so I was looking for Fisher Price toys to go with them.  I was very excited to find the Bubble Gum Machine at a yard sale.  My daughter was only about 4 months when she would sit in my lap and push the lever down herself!  It was one of the first "real" toys she played with. One downfall to the gum ball machine is that it doesn't hold enough Roll-a-Rounds at once.  My daughter got really fast at getting the lever pulled and didn't yet know how to fill the Bubble Gum Machine back up and I couldn't keep up with it.  It was suggested I just let her pull the lever and hear the music without the balls in so I gave it a try but she would have none of it, if the balls weren't coming down she wasn't a happy camper.  Thankfully by about 11 months she was able to fill the Bubble Gum Machine by herself! My daughter played with this from about 4 months till about 18 months when I put it up.  I think she would still have played with it longer; however, she is a climber and liked to sit and stand on it so I thought for safety sake it needed to be removed from her play area.

navywifetill2002

Belton, MO

Our daughter was actually given this toy as a hand me down toy from an older cousin.  It was in great condition when we received it, but it had a couple of missing balls.  We were glad to find out you can buy packages of more balls for a reasonable price.  This is a perfect toy for babies who are beginning to crawl.  Our daughter loved to crawl over to the machine and place the balls in the top and push the button.  The balls roll all over the room, which then allows the child to chase after them.  Our daughter is now walking and still loves to play with this toy.  This toy is sturdy, durable and we don't even mind the music it plays.  The only concern we have with this toy is that the plastic balls are quite heavy and can hurt when thrown.  We had one older toddler throw it at a glass hutch.  Luckily it didn't break, but we could see the danger in having older kids around that like to throw.

Bstar1

Orem, UT