Summer is almost here, and my family is really looking forward to having some fun in the sun. We love to spend time at a local lake or river, whether swimming, tubing, canoeing, having a cookout, or whatever, we spend much of our summer either at or around the water. That being said, I started digging out the beach toys a couple of weeks ago, and one of the toys I had forgotten about was the Spiderman Beach Ball that I picked up at a discount at the end of last summer. If I remember correctly, I paid around $1.50 for one of the 20 inch balls in the clearance sale, so it would have been around $3 at full price.

We have two of these that we have used for the past couple of years in addition to the one I bought from the end of summer clearance sale. This particular one measures 20 inches in diameter when fully inflated. Although they are recommended for ages 3 and up, the little ones will probably not be able to inflate them without help from an adult or older child. Most adults should have no trouble blowing this up in just a couple of minutes though.

In the past, I have handed out the smaller sized beach balls as party favors for children's birthday parties, and we always try to have a couple of extra balls when visiting a beach or playground because sometimes it is nice to supply a couple of extras so that everyone gets to play.

Either size works well, although most of the adults seem to prefer the slightly larger 20 inch version. With either size, the whole family can join in a game of catch, dodge ball, or sometimes the kids like to toss the ball out deeper and have the adults swim out and retrieve it for them, sort of like playing fetch with the dogs I guess, but they enjoy it and so do we.

Each of these balls is made of brightly colored vinyl, and is inflated by blowing air into the stem then pushing the cap on firmly. You can blow it up nice and firm, or you can leave a bit of room in it, making it easier for the kids to catch. It doesn't bounce as well this way, and isn't as good for hitting it back and forth like a volleyball, but sometimes the little ones will find it easier to grasp this way.

The designs on this particular ball are great for any Spiderman fan. Like most beach balls, it is put together in wedge style fashion, similar to an orange. Among the brighly colored wedges, this ball features both the red Spiderman and the black Spiderman. These Marvel Comics superheros are a big hit at any playground, pool, beach or backyard barbecue that involves kids, or any other Spidey fans.

These beach balls seem quite sturdy and have held up rather well, considering all of the abuse my family and friends have put them through. Most of them have lasted at least a couple of years without damage. The main cause of damage to any of our beach toys has been punctures resulting from sharp sticks, rocks, or dog teeth, so you might want to avoid these hazards.

Spider-Man Beach Balls are lots of fun for the whole family. Just keep in mind that this is meant to be a toy, not a life preserving device, and even though at least a couple members of our group used it as a float when we crossed the lake, they were not relying on it as a life preserver. 

I recommend the Amazing Spider-Man Beach Ball for fun in the sun this summer. You might even want to pick up a couple of extras to be sure there are lots to go around.

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Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): see review
Type of Toy: Sports
Age Range of Child: Whole Family