Simple Giantex Foosball Table for Kids Review

I'm not ashamed to admit that my kids sometimes surprise us with their choice of holiday or birthday gifts. This year, one of my daughters really wanted a foosball table for her birthday. This was after our family already got a ping pong table for Christmas, so I'll admit that I wasn't as on-board with another "space taker" for our basement. Buying toys for kids doesn't have to be difficult, though.

The foosball table we ended up going with was the Giantex Foosball Soccer Table from Amazon and it came out to about $80. Since I am generally responsible for assembly in our house, I cleared some space on the basement floor, grabbed my tools, and got to work. All-in-all it wasn't that difficult to put together and doesn't eat up as much space as I thought it would.

We've had the Giantex Foosball Soccer Table for about 3 months and it is still holding up. The kids play with it almost daily, it is a huge hit for slumber parties, and I'd be lying if I said my wife and I didn't occasionally get a game in as well. That said, it isn't pefect. The construction seems fairly cheap, which is what you would imagine at the price point. The foosball table legs tend to slant inward over time, requiring that the screws holding them to the table be tightened. There are plastic washer-type pieces that connect on either side of the table where the rotation rods are held. These pieces often come apart and my kids have gotten used to pushing them back together between games. We will probably end up using some sort of glue on them, but haven't gotten around to it.

Manufacturer's Product Details:

• Giantex Foosball Soccer Table: Which Is Perfect For Any Indoor Amusement Between Family, Friends And Colleagues.
• Last Long Using: It Features MDF Construction, Strong Steel Rods With Slide Bearings For Smooth Rotation And Ball Serve Cups On Both Sides For Convenience.
• Nice Design: Cross Bar Support for Added Strength. There Are Fabricated Focused Of Players, Soccer Field And Crowd Graphics And Scoring Device On Both Sides.
• Easy To Use: Easy Assemble Is Required And All Parts Are Packed In The Package. Please Make Sure All The Connections Are Tightened Before Using. Please Keep The Foosball Away With The Children Under 3 Years Old.
• Dimensions: Rotation Rod: Steel With Chromium Coated And Hollow, Colors Of Polo Shirt: Red & White Balls: Two,Overall Dimension: 47.6’’ X 24’’ X 30.7’’(L X W X H)

Pros:

• Small size didn't take up too much space in our basement
• Kids and adults have a blast playing foosball, sometimes late into the night during makeshift tournaments
• Fairly easy to put together
• Has held up fairly well, considering the high level of use that it gets in our home
• The cost for this foosball table was lower than many other models out there
• Since we ordered from Amazon, the shipping was fast and reliable

Cons:

• The construction and materials admittedly aren't of the highest quality
• Requires periodic maintenance (or glue)

Overall:

For the price, the Giantex Foosball Soccer Table was worth it for us. We weren't sure if this would be another of those toys that the kids would only play with a few times and then ignore, so we didn't want to spend too much. Do I wish that we spent more now, considering the amount of use that the foosball table gets? Yeah, probably. We are still satisfied with what we have received.

Trampoline for Small or Sloping Yards Guide and Review

For the holidays, we wanted to surprise our kids with a trampoline. The problem was that the back yard at our new house sloped down after you got about 12 feet from the house. We began our search for a trampoline that was smaller than normal, but still big enough for our 5 kids to enjoy. It isn't your normal kid toy or gift, but ideally you only have to buy one and it will last for years.

We ended up going with the Skywalker Trampolines 10 Ft. Round Trampoline and Enclosure with Spring. I was worried at first at how long it would take us to put it together, but it actually wasn't that bad. The hardest part actually was doing it outside in freezing weather between snows because my wife and kids insisted that it go up as soon as possible (even though it wouldn't actually be warm enough to jump on the trampoline for a few months).

Now we have had this Skywalker trampoline for 5 months and the kids still absolutely enjoy it. I've listed the manufacturer's product description and some "pros" and "cons" below to help other parents become the heroes in their home.


Manufacturer's Product Details:

• Stay-put enclosure net interlocks to the jumping mat by using a patented button-hole feature attaching the enclosure netting to the jumping surface at each V-ring
• Reinforced welded T-sockets stabilize the upper enclosure frame to the trampoline frame and prevents structural twisting
• 64, heavy gauged 5.5 inch springs provide superior bounce and are rust resistant
• Assembled Dimensions: 10 ft. X 10 ft. X 8 ft
• Recommended for ages 6 and above with a 175 lb. weight capacity

Pros:

• Small size gave us the feeling that we had a normal sized trampoline, while also fitting in our yard
• Fairly easy to put together, especially with two people
• Netting around the outside of the trampoline keeps kids (and adults) from accidentally falling off and injuring themselves
• The cost for this trampoline was lower than many other models out there
• Since we ordered from Amazon, the shipping was fast and reliable

Cons:

• This trampoline has springs, which several manufacturers are getting away from
• The kids sometimes have a problem with the zipper on the net, but they always figure it out

Overall:

For the price, this trampoline was exactly what we were looking for. It fits our yard and even though it has springs, the padding around the edges and the net keeps that from being an issue. We were worried about some of the weather we received after putting it up, but this trampoline has survived a few snow and rain storms without any noticeable wear. Just make sure the kids don't leave their toys on it while they are jumping. If you are looking for a smaller trampoline at a good cost point, this one is the way to go.