Little Tikes Little Champs Sports Center Review

It was my son's first birthday; we were on the hunt for something fun to give to him. However unusual it was for me to leave it to the last minute, we HAD to find something at the Babies R US now. The party was the next day and I needed to get preparations done for that as well.

That's when I saw it - a three-in-one sports center. It was on sale (bonus!) and seemed great for my active son. I grabbed it and headed home. This decision was one of the best I've ever made. When my son opened it, he wanted to play with it. Immediately.

Set Up

Setting it up was fairly simple. I wasn't aware it would just be a pop-and-go sort of toy. Being me, of course, I put it together wrong. But it's okay! Easily fixed. If you know me, it's pretty much expected.

How It Works

There are three sports for your child to use:

1. Basketball - my son's favorite. Simply put one of the three balls through the net or the backboard hole and watch it drop in the little base below. As you do that, it sounds like a buzzer or crowds cheering or even a whoosh.

2. Football - my son's least favorite. You touch the football, it rotates and makes a noise. Not very fun.

3. Baseball - my least favorite. Whoever thought it would be a good idea to give a toddler a bat really needs to get their head examined. When we brought a new baby into the house, watching the bat was even more of an issue. Let's just say that the baseball game is now played with hands instead of a bat. We'll play with the bat outside, thank you very much!

What My Son Likes

My son LOVES the basketball game. Even my daughter has learned to love it. You can dunk it without a problem and hear the cheers. Of course, the lights go crazy too meaning that kids became wild with excitement. The other sports are fine, but the basketball is just fun! He even though you could dunk himself. This resorted in a stuck leg, funny photo and a boy who didn't know whether to laugh or cry. (He's fine, by the way!)

What I love

My son is now four. Obviously, now with two kids, we've used the heck out of this little toy. Amazingly enough, I've only had to change batteries once. Nothing is better than that. It keeps my kids entertained and really makes life easier for us all.

What I Dislike

There's nothing about this product that I hate. Actually, there's nothing I really even dislike. It's priced well and it works like a charm. If I had to say something, I would say that I dislike that the football is so worthless and the bat is so ill-conceived. Other than that though, nothing is wrong with this product. It is interesting that when the crowd cheers at one point, they yell "USA! USA! USA!" Just interesting. Nothing bad. I guess they don't market this toy overseas.

Overall

You won't go wrong with these toys. You be losing the balls left and right, but you're in for years and years of fun!