Froggy Boogie: Eye-popping summer fun

Summer has arrived! Time to get out and have some fun in the sun. Unless, that is, you live where summertime outdoors is far too hot for fun in the sun or any other outdoor spot. Hot places such as in the desert... which is where my grandsons live.

Summers at my grandsons' house often mean finding fun inside rather than out, at least on those days when heat advisories from the National Weather Service prohibit outdoor play.

One game ideal for such times — perfect for play any time, any where, in fact, even outdoors in fair-weather climes — is Froggy Boogie from Blue Orange Games. The all-wooden game carries the tagline "The eye popping, frog hopping, memory game!" It's designed for two to six players, ages 4 and up.

As I'm a long-distance grandma and have not yet had the joy of playing Froggy Boogie with my oldest grandson (who celebrates his fifth birthday in June, putting him in the perfect age range), I'll share with you here a video of the game play:

My grandson adored the last game we received for review from Blue Orange Games (SpotIt!), and Froggy Boogie seems like it 'll be an equally great time. I'll surely bring it along on my next visit — and likely end up leaving it with my grandson, just as I did SpotIt! because he loved it so.

A few of the impressive aspects of the Froggy Boogie game, from a grandma's perspective, include the fact all the game pieces are fully (and finely) crafted of wood. Wooden games harken back to a simpler time and have entertainment value younger kids likely aren't exposed to often anymore. That also means it's sustainably made — a perk for the environment.

Other aspects I appreciate about Froggy Boogie:

• Players focus on memory skills, color identification, fine motor skills.

• Game play time is relatively short, right in line with the attention span of young players.

• Winner of several awards, including FamilyFun Magazine Toy of the Year.

Froggy Boogie has a suggested price of $29.99 and can be purchased from Blue Orange Games (with a 30-day money-back guarantee), as well as from Amazon.com and other game retailers. Blue Orange Games can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclosure: I received the product free for review. All opinions and anecdotes are my own.

Bouncing good time: One Step Ahead Bounce-A-Round review and giveaway

What's more fun than a bouncy house? Not much, especially when it's a bouncy house for kids, a bouncy house you can set up indoors or out, a bouncy house from One Step Ahead.

One Step Ahead, a super spot for grandparents and parents to purchase the coolest of cool kid toys and more, sent me one of their popular Bounce-A-Round inflatable jumpers to review plus an offer to give one away to my readers. So I blew it up using the included double-action hand pump (it took me 15 minutes, which was far better than I expected) and placed it in my living room, ready to be reviewed.

The Bounce-A-Round is designed for ages 2 and up, with a weight limit of 120 pounds total (two jumpers at a time, max), so I clearly needed to call in some kids for the jumping. Since my grandsons live 815 miles away and wouldn't be visiting any time soon, I called on the cutest little guest reviewers—Milo and Caden, children of friends: 

I could blather on in text about how the review went, but as pictures are worth far more than my meager words, I'll share with you the photos of how that review went.

First up was Milo, a few months under the recommended age of 2 but nonetheless ready to jump with joy, with Mom nearby.

 

Then Caden arrived. Immediately his shoes were removed (as recommended) and he climbed on in. Caden, at nearly four years old, better fits the age range the Bounce-A-Round is meant for, and it's clear he took full advantage of all its bounciness:

 

The Bounce-A-Round is far larger than I and the moms of the reviewers expected. The One Step Ahead site gives the dimensions as 46"L x 48"W for the inflated jumping area, with walls, inflated, of 32" - 38"H (on top of the height of the inflated base). The base inflated is 66"L x 77"W. With all that space, the reviewers' moms willingly climbed in to pose for a picture with their little ones (no jumping by moms, I promise).

 

As with most playthings, it's always more fun when there's a partner in play, and Milo and Caden thoroughly enjoyed sharing the ample space.

What's up with the darker photos above? After a bit of bouncing as intended, we decided to throw a sheet over the top of the Bounce-A-Round and make a fort out of it.

It was in that version that the boys had the most fun, and I can imagine the hours of play my fort-loving grandsons will get out of it next time they visit. When playtime is over, there's even a bit o' fun involved in deflating the Bounce-A-Round.

One suggestion of note: As you can see from Milo's awkward exit, it's best to have a pillow or other soft spot for kids to land when getting out:

What we loved most about the One Step Ahead Bounce-A-Round: First up is the size. As I mentioned above, the moms and I were quite impressed by how large it is. Also, I was happy the three chambers (base, walls, top rail) inflated so quickly, even without a motorized pump. And I liked the idea the jumper could be used inside or outside, as not everyone has a huge spot for—nor always wants—a massive inflatable toy in the house. (Of course, you'd want to place something underneath when using outside, to protect from pokes that pop, and a pillow at the entrance would be a necessity.) Overall, the entire thing was pretty heavy duty, but I'm glad patches were included just in case the jumper springs a leak somewhere down the road.

Suggestions for improvement, courtesy the reviewers' moms: Having a flap over the entrance would be helpful, they both suggested, as kids bouncing near the entrance—especially smaller ones—tumble easily out the door. Plus, they thought an included cover for fort-like play might be nice, as the sheet I threw over the top kept coming off.

The One Step Ahead Bounce-A-Round, previously $99.95 but now $79.95 on the One Step Ahead website, comes with a 100% lifetime guarantee, the very same guarantee given every item sold by One Step Ahead.

As mentioned above, One Step Ahead is giving away one Bounce-A-Round inflatable jumper to a Grandma's Briefs reader. With the holidays coming up, what could be better than winning such a bouncing good time to share with the little ones at your place or theirs? Enter here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received the product above free for review, as well as the offer of one for a giveaway. Anecdotes and opinions are my own.