Have A Ball With the Fisher-Price Cruise And Groove Ballapalooza

Sharing is caring!

Last year, before Christmas, my mother-in-law asked for some ideas for gifts for Nick.  I often have a difficult time coming up with ideas for the Christmas lists, but last year I knew I wanted to add the Fisher-Price Cruise and Groove Ballapalooza to the list.  He had loved his Fisher-Price Go Baby Go Crawl and Cruise Musical Jungle, but in the fall he had started walking and he didn’t want to sit and play with a toy, so it had lost its appeal for him.  I had seen ads for the Ballapalooza in my parenting magazines and it had seemed like the perfect toy to move up to.  Almost nine months later it is safe to say that Nick still loves it!

What We Love About the Fisher-Price Cruise and Groove Ballapalooza

This is a great toy.  There is so much to it.  Think back to those marble toys we used as kids, and then think of it being blown up to a larger size and you’ll have an idea of what the Fisher-Price Cruise and Groove Ballapalooza is.  There are sensors throughout the toy and when the balls hit them it makes it play music and it also turns on lights that flash.  It sometimes makes me think of the games you’d find in an arcade.

Nick has loved it since the moment Jason started building it, and I knew he would.  Nick loves any toy that contains balls.  What has amazed me though is that this toy has really worked his imagination.  He’s always testing out different toys with it to see what works and what doesn’t work.  I have to admit that getting his Matter and Lightning McQueen cars out of stuck locations is not always fun, but I love seeing him attempt it.  At the same time though he stills loves to play with it just the way it is.  Hardly a day goes by that he doesn’t play with it in some way.  Now we do have it set out in a prominent spot, but I don’t mind having a big toy set out like that if it’s something he’s going to play with so much.  He’s even figured out how to work the switch to turn the sensors on and off.  This toy has truly helped him grow and develop.

What We Don’t Love About the Fisher-Price Cruise and Groove Ballapalooza

OK let’s be honest here.  There’s usually something we don’t like about all of our kid’s toys.  This one really isn’t too bad though.  It is large, so finding room for it can be difficult.  We had a spot for it, so that wasn’t a problem for us, but it could be for others.  The music is alright.  None of the songs that are played are recognizable, so they won’t get stuck in your head and they don’t really bother me.  What I don’t like is that they music and lights are easily set off.  Out of nowhere it can start playing which is a little freaky.  The music and lights also continue to go off for quite some time after your little one is done playing with it, and then it just seems loud and annoying, so I always have to go turn it off.  That’s not a big deal, but I like to leave Nick’s toys on so that when he goes to play with them they’re ready to be played with.  Of course now that he knows how to turn it on and off that’s really not a problem.

Overall there really aren’t many bad things I can say about the Ballapalooza.  It’s not the cheapest toy with a price tag around $50, but I feel that it has been worth the money.  Nick truly loves it.  He plays with it all the time.  It comes with eight colored balls and they can all be stored on the bottom bar when not in use.  It does take quite a bit of assembling, but I think Jason built it in 30 minutes or so.  It probably took longer than it needed to because Nick wanted to help.  It’s meant for kids 6-36 months, and I’d guess that’s a fairly good range.  I think Nick, at 1.5, was a perfect age for receiving it.  He was just tall enough at the time to put the balls in the top container that shoots them out.  Had he not been tall enough I think that would have frustrated him, but I don’t think that would be a problem for all kids.

I highly recommend the Fisher-Price Cruise and Groove Ballapalooza.  If your little one likes ball toys then this is sure to be a hit.  It also does what all good toddler toys do which is to promote growth and development.  I doubt you’ll be disappointed with this toy, I know we’re not.