Thumball by Answers in Motion is a game, a toy, and an educational learning tool all in one!  Shaped like a multi-sided soccer ball, Thumballs have a soft exterior and a squishy interior, making them easy for even little hands to catch. The balls come in 4 or 6 inch diameters with either 12 or 32 panels, and on each panel is a letter, number, word, phrase, or question.  Someone tosses the ball and the person who catches looks at where their right thumb is (or the left one, you make the rules!) and responds accordingly.

What’s great about Thumball is how open-ended it is. The only rules are whatever rules everyone playing decides on.  Even the simplest ABC Thumball can be used in a variety of ways – young players can simply pronounce the letter their thumb lands on, older players can be asked to think of a word that starts with that letter.  Other Thumballs to get for playing with  little ones are Numbers, Shapes, and Animals. 4 inch Thumballs are $10.99 and 6 inch are $13.99, or buy the Early Learner set for $49.99 at www.thumball-store.com. Includes two carabiners to hook the Thumballs together for easier storage.

We received a variety of Thumballs to review, and I was pleasantly surprised to have everyone in my family, including my husband, want to play and participate. We started with the Icebreaker Thumball, which is aimed at teens through adults. It has prompts to discuss topics like “Foods you can cook”, “Fantasy vacation”, and “Must-have Chinese food”.   This is the perfect Thumball for a family gathering as well as for companies to use for training and team building.

We also got the Entertainment Talk Thumball, with questions about books, TV and movies, and one I really like, the Move Your Body Thumball. Players act out the movements used in sports and other physical activity, like “Flap your wings and soar”, and “Kick a goal and cheer.”  Once everyone gets over their initial hesitation of possibly looking silly in front of everyone else, it gets really fun!

I think Answers in Motion has done a great job of creating a product that can be used by almost anyone.  From preschoolers to senior citizens, there’s a Thumball that will entertain and educate!  I highly recommend Thumball as a holiday gift too. You’ll love it!