VTech Smart Shots Sports Center Review: A 2-in-1 Experience
We like
It is a 2 in 1 experience
All materials are soft and flexible
It is educational as well as physical
The system is very lightweight, compact and portable
Reasonable price
We don’t like
Replacement soccer balls and basketballs are costly
The only language offered is English
How it works
The VTech Smart Shots Sports Center is a 2 in 1 sports system for children. It has a basketball hoop on top and a soccer goal on the bottom. Children have to shoot the basketball into the hoop or kick the soccer ball into the net in order for the game to make sounds.
The system also includes the basketball, soccer ball and a scoreboard that plays over 50 songs and sounds at a very reasonable price. The sports center comes with an animated LED scoreboard that’s animated and it counts each basket your child makes. This is a powerful lesson for young children as they will learn the causal relationship between their actions and the reaction from the scoreboard.
The sounds and the animations from the sports center will keep your child engaged and spark their curiosity. Your child will get the opportunity to improve upon their counting skills and shapes among other lessons. It’s a very tactile game as children will need to push buttons, turn pages and spin gears to maximize all of the features of the sports center unit.
The VTech Smart Shots Sports Center will keep kids active and healthy since they’ll be in constant motion trying to get the ball into the hoop or kick the ball into the net. When they aren’t trying to score goals or shoot points they’ll be using all of the other features on the sports center or being entertained and enamored with the colors and lights from the animated LED. Your child will also be introduced to the basics of sports. They’ll learn scoring and basic strategy and even the fundamentals of self-discipline since they will need to follow the rules and instructions in order to get the rewarding sounds and lights.
Children will build up their confidence every time they hear the sounds or see the lights that are triggered when they dunk a ball or score a goal in the soccer net. It’s a physical and educational game all in one. Above all children will be able to entertain themselves and have fun.
Age Range
The VTech Smart Shots Sports Center is recommended for children between 12 months and 3 years of age. Kids can play it either sitting down or standing up so the child doesn’t even have to be mobile yet to enjoy the sports system.
Kids who can’t walk or read yet can enjoy the game when it speaks to them. They can also play with all of the buttons and gears and levers. All of them make the basketball hoop sing and talk to your baby or toddler. The hoop is springy and responsive and the net is a flexible plastic so that your baby can dunk the ball. When babies make a basket the hoop counts and keeps score and it cheers your baby on every time they make a goal.
Kids who can’t walk or read yet can enjoy the game when it speaks to them. They can also play with all of the buttons and gears and levers. All of them make the basketball hoop sing and talk to your baby or toddler. The hoop is springy and responsive and the net is a flexible plastic so that your baby can dunk the ball. When babies make a basket the hoop counts and keeps score and it cheers your baby on every time they make a goal.
Ease of Use
Installation is simple. There are only a few pieces that just snap together for a easy assembly. There are two screws to hold the basketball backboard and scoreboard on. This only takes a phillips screwdriver. It also requires 3 AA batteries that aren’t included.
In order for children to use the system, they just need to sit or stand and then either toss the ball into the hoop or kick the ball into the soccer net. Additionally there are the levers, gear, pages and buttons for children to push and hit and turn. Doing any or all of those actions will trigger the lights, the songs or the cheering.
In order for children to use the system, they just need to sit or stand and then either toss the ball into the hoop or kick the ball into the soccer net. Additionally there are the levers, gear, pages and buttons for children to push and hit and turn. Doing any or all of those actions will trigger the lights, the songs or the cheering.
Versatility
There are a lot of features on the VTech Smart Shots Sports Center to keep your child entertained and engaged. It’s a 2 in 1 sports system that includes both the basketball net and the soccer net. There are plenty of features for kids to enjoy. It helps to build and refine their motor skills, learn strategy and the value of reward systems and above all it’s just fun. Aside from the basketball net, there’s the soccer net so that they can dunk or throw the ball in from any distance they’re comfortable with. Then they can kick the same ball into the net for a more competitive experience or just kick the soccer ball into the net on its own. Kids can also turn gears and flip levers and maximize every feature of the VTech Smart Shots Sports Center. They can sing and dance along to it and be entertained by the lights, sound effects, shapes and colors.
Sensory Stimulation
Almost every one of your child’s senses will be engaged while playing with the VTech Smart Shots Sports Center. They will be engaging in physical activity, trying to either shoot the basketball into the basketball hoop or score goals by kicking the soccer ball into the net. The LED animation also lights up so your child will remain intrigued and it will keep their attention for a long period of time. And if they tired of the sports aspect, they can turn the gears and play with the other buttons and features on the toy which will provoke the songs and phrases. They can then sing and dance and interact with the sports center.
Price Range
Compared to a lot of other basketball hoops for the children, the VTech Smart Shots Sports Center is very reasonably priced. And this basketball hoop is more than just a basketball hoop. It is an entire sports system. Included in the cost is the basketball net, the scoreboard and the soccer net as well as the soccer ball and basketball. The only thing not included with the sports system is 3 AA batteries that are needed to activate the lights and sounds. It is fun as well as educational and it has over 50 sounds and songs that babies can enjoy from ages 1 to 3 years.
Portability
The VTech Smart Shots Sports Center is extremely lightweight. After it is completely assembled it only weighs just over 5 and a half pounds. The soccer and basketball nets are made from a very lightweight and flexible plastic material. The rest of the unit is made from a sturdy but light kind of plastic that isn’t bulky or has any extra or unnecessary weight. It is also very compact. It is less than two feet tall and it is about equally as wide. It can be picked up and lifted all over the house since it is so light and it can be easily transported in a car as well. It does not collapse or take apart without some work however. When assembling the pieces, they just snap together and there are only a few screws to place. The unit is essentially one piece but it is small enough and light enough to carry around the house and take up and down the stairs.
Physical Development
The VTech Smart Shots Sports Center will keep kids active and healthy. It involves some movement to throw and kick the balls as well as to retrieve them afterwards. You child will run, shoot, kick, and throw while trying to make goals and score points. They will get the opportunity to improve their accuracy when shooting the ball or kicking the ball into the net. Children will build their precision and learn the basics of soccer and basketball. This will help children develop healthy habits early on and it is helpful with dealing with childhood obesity and lethargy among other issues.
Motor
Using the sports system requires that kids improve their aim and accuracy to properly aim the ball into the nets. They will develop their motor skills by doing so the more time they spend on practicing with it. There is a built in reward system that lights up and cheers them on as they score points and goals. It will train them to try to be more precise and accurate and they will slowly train their muscles and build up muscle memory. Kids will have fun as the hoop cheers them on and congratulations them. They can build up their motor skills in a nurturing, fun and engaging way.
Entertainment Value
The The VTech Smart Shots Sports Center is great for keeping kids active and healthy as they will be in constant motion trying to get the ball into the hoop or kick the ball into the net in order to score points. When your little ones aren’t trying to score goals or gain points they can use all of the other features of the sports center system. They be entertained for hours and be completely engaged by all of the colors and lights and sounds from the animated LED screen. Your child will also be introduced to the basics of soccer and basketball. They will learn their numbers and basic strategy and even the fundamentals of good sportsmanship. It is a great feedback system since they will need to learn the rules of the game and score points in order to get the rewarding sounds and lights.
Annoyance Factor
The system also an LED scoreboard that plays over 50 songs and sounds and noises at a very reasonable cost. The sports center comes with the animated LED scoreboard that counts each basket your child makes out loud so that they can count along with it. The sounds work in conjunction with the animated scoreboard on the sports center to keep your child engaged and pique their developing curiosity. Your child will get the opportunity to improve upon their counting skills and shapes among other lessons. They will most likely be counting along and laughing and screaming in joy as they earn points and sing along to the songs. It’s a very tactile game as well since children will need to push buttons, turn pages and spin gears to get completely use out all of the features of the sports center unit. However if the toy is too loud, there are two volume settings. You can set it to either high or low.
Conclusion
12 month to 48 month olds really love this toy. It’s compact enough to be left in a living room or somewhere off to the side until your little one is ready to use it. And once you are ready to move it, it is light enough to bring up and down the stairs or move to another part of the house. Parents love the two little grooves in the base of the system that allow you to store the basketball and soccer ball when it they are not in use. There is also a power button to control the lights and sounds.
It is mostly assembled right out of the box. You get the basketball hoop with the soccer net, two balls and the scoreboard You will need a screwdriver to put it together the rest of the way but it only takes a few minutes. All of the other pieces just snap together. The basketball and soccer ball are soft and small enough for your child’s hands since they are made out of silicone. The only thing not included is the 3 AA batteries in order to operate the LED display.
The entire sports system is very sturdy but not bulky at all. It can also be used on most surfaces so it tipping over is not an issue. It should be able to take your toddler slam dunking into it and dragging it around with no problem. You can join in on the fun as well without fear of it falling over.
When your child gets the ball in the basket it counts to 10. When the ball gets into the soccer net it cheers. There are also a number of tunes to help cheer him or her on. When your kid gets tired of the sports balls they can sit and play with the gears and buttons and the little monkey on the system. It’s multiple forms of entertainment all in one system that parents and kids will enjoy.
It is mostly assembled right out of the box. You get the basketball hoop with the soccer net, two balls and the scoreboard You will need a screwdriver to put it together the rest of the way but it only takes a few minutes. All of the other pieces just snap together. The basketball and soccer ball are soft and small enough for your child’s hands since they are made out of silicone. The only thing not included is the 3 AA batteries in order to operate the LED display.
The entire sports system is very sturdy but not bulky at all. It can also be used on most surfaces so it tipping over is not an issue. It should be able to take your toddler slam dunking into it and dragging it around with no problem. You can join in on the fun as well without fear of it falling over.
When your child gets the ball in the basket it counts to 10. When the ball gets into the soccer net it cheers. There are also a number of tunes to help cheer him or her on. When your kid gets tired of the sports balls they can sit and play with the gears and buttons and the little monkey on the system. It’s multiple forms of entertainment all in one system that parents and kids will enjoy.
