For my kids and many others, if a game involves a ball, then they are in. Whether it’s a specific sport like basketball, tennis, four square, kickball, soccer, or football, or just playing catch or keep away, something is alluring and addictive about the bouncing, soaring, rolling qualities of playing with a ball. While my kids are fans of the old favorites, they are always hungry for the novelty of new games. In this review of Spikeball Standard 3 Ball Kit, my boys, age 7, 10, 12, and 14, and my 16-year-old daughter and I try out this game that has been around since 2008 but was new to us. Read on to see if my suspicion was right that Spikeball’s combination of volleyball, ping pong, and four square would be an instant hit with my kids.
Entertainment Value: Score!
Spikeball easily delivered as a favorite for my kids. It has so many pluses. It’s super easy to play, and the simple, intuitive rules are a snap to learn. The game features the potential for complex, competitive play, which makes it quite addictive and challenging for all ages and athletic abilities. Adults and teens will enjoy this game just as much (if not more) than little kids. I loved that you can play it for 5 minutes or an hour, and it’s still fun. It’s perfect for blowing off steam and can be taken just about anywhere and played on multiple surfaces. This game can be an intense workout, especially when playing the official game, which calls for four players in teams of two, bouncing the ball back and forth between teams using three hits per team (as in the players on the same team can hit the ball back and forth to each other before bouncing it on the net and volleying it to the opposing team). You can also play Spikeball more casually, with two, three, or four players, simply volleying the ball against the net—an approach I found to work best when playing with little kids. For my youngest’s recent birthday party, we set it up in the yard and, within seconds, we had a line seven or eight kids deep waiting for a turn. We dubbed this “knockout Spikeball” and had each child play until they missed a ball (either by not hitting the net with the ball or not returning the ball hit to them by their opponent), at which point they went to the back of the line. The line moved quickly, and the kids loved the swift action, even if they only lasted a few seconds or minutes in each turn. Only one of them had ever played before, but no one needed more than a word or two of instructions to understand how to play. My teens are more inclined to play the more competitive and physically demanding two-on-two version of the game and love that it’s so easy to set up and get started playing. It can pretty much be played anywhere, on a beach, grass, pavement, or basement. Flat ground is preferred, but its bendable legs allow you to even out the net on sloped surfaces.
Design: Simple, accessible, active fun
Launched in 2008, Spikeball has become a global phenomenon, selling more than 43 million units in sales. Its own governing body, the Spikeball Roundnet Association, organizes hundreds of official “roundnet” tournaments, including dedicated, ranked players, school programs, and even a Spikeball app to help connect players. The design of the game is simple. A 3-foot round net (hence the sport’s generic name of “roundnet”) is propped up on five 3-inch tall, yellow feet. The yellow balls are volleyball-like in look and feel but smaller, approximating the size and feel of a navel orange. Essentially, the play of the game, as described above, involves hitting the ball with your hands against the net and volleying it back and forth between players. The concept is quite similar to volleyball, except instead of hitting a ball over a net, players volley the ball by bouncing it against the round net. There are also quite a few parallels with four square, which I think is why elementary-age kids (who play four square at recess) have such an easy time picking up this game flow. Spikeball also has the tantalizing potential to become heated in the best ways—competitively and physically sweaty. The rapid play of volleys and points back and forth keeps everything moving and tends to keep spirits high as there is always the chance to spike for the win on the next ball. The set is built to last, and the manufacturer backs it up with a lifetime guarantee. If your kit breaks, they will replace it, no questions asked. The foldable feet allow the playing net to move instead of break on impact (like if someone falls on it).
Age Range: 2 and up for general play, 6 and up for the official game
This is a game that just about anyone who can walk and catch, throw, and hit a ball can enjoy. Basically, any child age 2 and up can have fun with this toy. To play the official Spikeball game (at least by the official rules), you will need greater ball control, enhanced motor, coordination, teamwork, spatial skills, and the ability to understand and work within the game rules. These requirements bump up the appropriate age to around 6 and up. Readiness will vary based on the child. Some will be able to play competitively at an early age, while others may need a few more years to master it. Regardless, any child that is interested in having fun with this toy probably can, as you can easily adjust the rules (or abandon them altogether) to suit the needs of your child’s abilities and interests.
Ease of Assembly and Storage: A snap
This game is very straightforward to put together. You fasten the black sections of the rim together, snap on the five yellow legs, and secure the net to the built-in rim hooks. The three included Spikeballs may need to be filled with some more air (a needle is included to attach to an air pump). The included instruction booklet, which we found helpful but largely unnecessary as the setup is pretty intuitive once you’ve seen a photo of the assembled game, suggests filling the spikeballs to the firmness of a “ripe orange” or about 90 percent full. The more firm you fill the balls, the bouncier they will be—and potentially harder to control. However, if they’re left too flat, they’ll land with a thud, so finding the “fullness” sweet spot is key. This process took all of five minutes to complete and start playing. However, I did end up retightening our net as we weren’t initially getting as much bounce as we wanted. This was quickly fixed by cinching up the net. We store the fully assembled playing net on a hook on our porch’s wall for easy access. Hung up against the wall doesn’t take up much space, particularly because the legs fold up to make the net flat. We store the Spikeball balls in the included bag. However, it’s also a simple task to take the playing net apart and store it all in the bag, making the game quite portable and a good choice to bring along to a picnic or on a road trip if there’s room in the car.
Price: High but guaranteed for life
The Spikeball Standard 3 Ball Kit retails for around $50 to $60. This is a pretty steep price considering you can find competitor knockoffs beginning at around half the price. However, this is the original game. It has the edge over its copycats. It’s lighter—about 3 pounds (while others hover closer to 7 pounds), more durable, thicker, has more textured balls for greater control and spin, and has foldable legs to prevent breakage and make storage a breeze. If you’re not sure you want to invest in a higher quality version of the game and just want to try it out, the lower priced options may work just fine for you. Some of the other sets come with a training ball, which is bigger in size and is easier to aim and control—a nice feature that this set lacks.
Spikeball Standard 3 Ball Kit vs. GoSports Slammo Game Set
This roundnet game set looks pretty much identical, except that the Slammo game set has green legs while Spikeball is yellow. The biggest difference is the Slammo product retails around $33, whereas the Spikeball set is almost double. However, while the Slammo set is clearly the more affordable option, the Spikeball kit outperforms due to its quality of materials, durability, and design (its foldable legs make it break-resistant and more compact to store). The Spikeball Standard 3 Ball Kit is an addictively enjoyable, energetic, accessible game that just about anyone can enjoy. Young kids to adults can easily learn and play Spikeball. Games can be casual or competitive, depending on the players.
