Today I have Plan Toys’ Hammer Balls. I wanted to purchase a toy that JT could smash at – I think it sounds fun and it teaches him cause and effect. I narrowed down my search down to 3 sets, two of which are from Plan Toys.
The another variation from Plan Toys is called the “punch and drop” where the balls are contained in a cube. Between the two, I preferred the one I purchased since the colours were more vibrant and I preferred the look of the pounding bench. Also, I’m not sure where you can find the cube version in Canada.
Hape ($34.95 CAD) is probably easier to find – you can find it at Chapters | Indigo. From my research, Hape is a German company that produces their toys in China. Overall I heard the quality of toys are good, but I’m not sure if I can get over the fact that it is made in China. Although one cool thing they have going on is that xylophone… which also comes out.
The pounding bench is made from multiple layers of wood glued together (using a non-formaldehyde glue) and bent into its curved shape. Where as the balls are made of solid wood and the mallet is made of two pieces of solid wood glued together.
Overall there is almost no scent other than this faint sweet smell.
If you’re wondering if this can be paired with Grimm’s Wooden balls, technically it could. The balls from Grimm’s is slightly smaller so it would fit into the holes if you treat like a “sorting toy”. But if you’re hoping that you can also use them as pounding balls – you can’t. They’re slightly too small for the holes.
Overall I’m very happy with my purchase. JT is still too young to play with this, but he enjoys watching me hammer the balls as it rolls towards him.
2 Comments
Can you post the link on where you buy these?
Yes, added to the post!