Years ago I found this 3 in 1 gym set on Craigslist for my first child. It was the best money I have ever spent on a toy for inside the house. It is small enough for little kids, but big enough to still be fun even for my 5 year old. The steps are a good size for little ones to practice climbing. The slide is perfect in that they can’t really get hurt but it’s still fun for all ages.
The ball pit is the real thriller for the kids who love to jump in it and “swim”. I was lucky that the seller I bought it from gave me 350 balls to fill up the pit, which is about what you need for it to be safe and fun. You can find ball pit balls here or do your own search on Craigslist. It seems people are always selling large bags of them.
The tubing that locks all the pieces together is safe and very sturdy. I have it in our play room for inside play and it is a perfect size. Because my oldest jumps so high off the top step, I have put noodles on the tubing surrounding the ball pit. I simply cut a slice down the noodles, wrapped them around the tubing, and secured it with packing tape. Your kids will LOVE this in home gym set!
UPDATE:
After three kids, the ball pit has been destroyed….loved, but destroyed. (I think using it for the stair slide was it’s final destruction. We had sooooo much fun, but it broke one of the sides)
I had to find another solution for a bigger ball pit that three kids could safely jump into and continue the progress they have made with their sensory issues. This Intex Swim Center Clearview Aquarium Inflatable Pool was the perfect solution. Because of the size increase, I added more balls and cut up some pool noodles to add some different textures for when the kids jump in. I found these soft ball pit balls that are a bit smaller than regular ball pit balls, but softer and much more resistant to breaking!!
I already owned this Little Tikes 8-in-1 adjustable playground that the kids play on in the basement. Because they liked the slide from the old ball pit, I took apart the playground so the tunnel portion slid into the ball pit. It worked out great because now they have a separate playhouse to play inside. (I stuck the smaller slide outside on a small hill we have 😉 )
