Intex Jump-O-Lene
Written: Jul 31 '02 (Updated Jul 31 '02)
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Pros: An Indoor/Outdoor bouncing toy
Cons: Five chambers to manually pump and pump and pump
The Bottom Line: Provides a place for kids to exercise safely and use as a ball pit
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| bonniesayers's Full Review: Intex Jump-O-Lene |
Last October a parent on a sensory integration dysfunction list I am on passed along the link to the Intex Jump-O-Lene that she had purchased at Kbtoys.com for her child. During the discussion on the benefits of this product I headed over to the website and proceeded to place this on my wish list. A week later when my children’s father was here for his weekly visit I showed it to him on the computer and we ordered it. I would say at least ten other parents from that group ordered the Intex Jump-O-Lene as well.
The previous summer I had found a discontinued item at Rite-Aid, My Playball Tent that contained fifty balls. I ended up placing those fifty balls inside the Intex Jump-O-Lene and ordered another 100 balls through amazon.com. I would suggest when ordering this product to go ahead and get the balls at the same time to save on shipping costs. Since we already have the Intex High-Output Air Pump - Double Quick III we were ready for the arrival of the Intex Jump-O-Lene. The pump costs about $12.99 with the balls around $14.99.
We were very excited when the box arrived from the UPS man and I was not sure how ready I was to start the pumping process. I decided to wait while my kids were at school and I had to rearrange my living room since this is where the Intex Jump-O-Lene was going to stay. The process actually took a couple of days since my kids liked playing around in it before I had it fully inflated.
There are three air chambers on the yellow side that are not numbered. The bottom has one close to the middle that is labeled 3. Located on the other side are numbers 1 and 2. Number 2 should be inflated only 2/3 of the way. This section is the teal green color. I was so enthusiastic at first that I started with the side ones and when I got to the bottom saw the number 3 and realized I had to pick the whole thing up. It was time to deflate and take a break. The deflating process did not take that long and I had to turn it all over and work from number 1. When you get to chamber number 3 you will feel the difference underneath you by the firmness of numbers 1 and 2. I found it easier to step inside with the pump to get number 3 inflated but was outside the structure for the other chambers. It is a bit awkward to get the last one pumped. So by the time my kids were home from school I did not have the side three chambers filled. They could not wait to pounce on this thing.
There are a few variations and levels to the Intex Jump-O-Lene. Once the side sections are inflated it is used as a built-in ledge for resting during play. Before the sides were inflated my youngest son liked to lean up against the sides and have me move the balls around him inside there for some physical play. Any occupational therapist will tell you this is perfectly suited for autistic kids and those with sensory issues.
My seven-year old assisted me with the pumping duties and we had the Intex Jump-O-Lene to the full size that same evening. The first few months due to over excitement the bottom number 3 chamber would open up. This is located right where my son plays and he would do this accidentally. Now we use caution around that nozzle. The 1 and 2 chambers are what make the bouncy part when they are inflated, as they are separate bouncing cushions. My sons can play ball back and forth on opposite sides of the Intex Jump-O-Lene.
There is a weight limit at 120 pounds with two kids being the maximum allowed at one time inside the Intex Jump-O-Lene. The recommended age group is from three to seven. This is made of super-tough vinyl with no rips or tears thus far. The shipping weight is twenty-one pounds and the price to ship this was almost twenty dollars. Take into consideration acquiring a pump and balls to go with this. I have several pictures of both my children on a Kodak CD inside this if anyone wants to see what it looks like indoors. Since there is no shade in front of our house, dogs and cats around the neighborhood, having this inside is more suitable for our needs. My kids have their own playground here with a deluxe aerobic trampoline positioned near the Intex Jump-O-Lene for jumping into the bouncing toy. One of then can be on the trampoline while the other is competing in the Intex Jump-O-Lene. My son was thrilled to show a friend how to jump in there, but it was too difficult for this other boy to coordinate doing.
This Intex Jump-O-Lene is huge, measuring 82” in diameter and 28 inches high when inflated. This is also perfect for when my son needs to calm down and can rest inside for a few minutes when he comes home from school. Recently we had a floortime assessment for my six-year old and the therapists mentioned they had both items at their office for patients to utilize in sessions. Even when the sides have deflated and I am too lazy to pump all three chambers, it is still a feasible place to sit among the toys. This provides proprioceptive and vestibular input for my sons and lets them let off some steam at the same time.
For outdoor use I would think if you had a screened in porch or garage area for play this might work, otherwise a large living room, spare bedroom or basement would work out well. Our living space is designed to meet the needs of both my autistic sons with areas separated for reading, working, relaxing and jumping around. I have not deflated the whole thing yet, but if we move next month it will be very easy to deflate and pack back into the box, at least that is what I hope to accomplish.
There are some precautions to take note when considering purchasing the Intex Jump-O-Lene. This should not be placed near stairwells, swimming pools, sharp objects or balconies and not to be placed on concrete. Since we use it indoors shoes are never worn while playing inside or bouncing. The box shows the kids barefoot using this so I would imagine if placing this outdoors that the shoes would be removed beforehand. The kids even have their jeans rolled up so that they would not trip over long bottoms. This is not for use in or around water or snow and not to be used as a bed or between a wall.
The warnings are printed on the bottom level of the structure in fifteen languages. This is only one paragraph. The Intex Jump-O-Lene is made in China. Adult supervision is suggested and the rules should be followed so that there are no broken bones or injuries to the children. It would appear that this could fit up to four hundred balls, by my estimation.
At time the noise is a bit too much when my kids go in there and jump into the balls or just move around inside, but they are having fun and that is what matters most.
This is item# 104941 at Kbtoys.com selling for $39.99.
This is model#48267 at qualityinflatables for $34.95:
http://www.qualityinflatables.com/68267.html
My review of the pump can be accessed by this link:
http://www.epinions.com/content_57958043268.
The review I wrote on kbkids.com is located here:
http://www.epinions.com/content_46402276996
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 39.99
Type of Toy: Other
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years
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Epinions.com ID:
bonniesayers
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Location: Los Angeles, CA
Reviews written: 842
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