Sportime Numbered Step-N-Stones, 2-5/8 x 5-1/4 Inches, Set of 6, Assorted Colors - 1004570

These have so many uses. My son's physical therapist first brought them to use to help him have a desire to practice walking on uneven surface, practice using both feet alternately on stairs, etc. My children all loved them so much I bought a set and use it with my preschool class. I use them to play numbers and counting games, great for helping kids practice balancing and finding their center of gravity. I have used them as part of obstacle courses. I love them more than the really hard plastic stones as they have the added feature of changing when they inflate and deflate on their own with a slight mount of pressure. This makes them appealing to young children who are unsure and they are fun to squeeze with your hands as well. There are so many ways I use them. I have used them in a commercial setting now for about 3 years and they still look like brand new. You can't go wrong!

I am a pre-kinder teacher so I ordered these to put in my movement center. They arrived yesterday. I introduced them to my class today. The kids loved them. Some of the children I work with have a hard time identifying where their body is in space in relation to others. This helps them understand where their own body starts and stops. I also have one child who has a patch on her eye. This product helps with balance, visual perception, and core muscle strength. The kids chanted both the numbers and the color of the dome as they walked across them. All the domes inflated. This is a positive and useful addition to my 'movement toolbox". I have 2 part time teaching assistants who had so much fun with the kids today. This is an activity I will incorporate into my outside time as well as in group circle activities. The director of the center came in to see why the kids were laugh so much- and she had fun at circle time using this with us.

These are great little stepping stones; they're a little on the small side, but great for my 2 year old. I also love that they have numbers on them. My only complaint was that they don't hold their shape when pressure is put on; there's a little hole in these things for air to escape. My son likes to play with the air sometimes, so that's okay. All in all, if I really wanted to block the hole, I'd take some glue to it and it would probably be fine. Not a bad buy at all, and much cheaper than other stepping stone sets. It's a pretty good buy.

Great Tool for Physical Therapy.I have read some of the other reviews and have to point out that those who gave low ratings or were disappointed with performance are not using these for their intended purpose!!These are used in Physical Therapy for strengthening the hips, legs, joints, etc., especially in young children when you have them step on them.The air is supposed to come out of them! However, they re-inflate just as quickly. Putting pressure/stepping on them is a way of increasing hip strength, balance and coordination.Of course you can certainly use them at home or in the gym, but they are mainly used in PT.IMPORTANT NOTE: If this item arrives soft, deflated or dented, and it is very easy to squeeze the air out of them, then it is defective. They are supposed to be perfectly solid domes and should be somewhat challenging to step on/squeeze the air out of. Send them back for a replacement or refund if this happens.

This looked like an awesome product. The idea is really fun, but our niece and nephew (ages 3 and 5) haven't really been excited about it yet. Would be a great way to practice numbers and let kids invent there own games. The numbers don't reinflate very fast after kids stomp on them.

My son is four years old and has sensory processing disorder. These stones were introduced to him at therapy about a year ago. He loved them so much that his therapist used them as a "reward" to doing the other activities he needed to do. Once I was told about how much he licked them, I bought them for home use. The stones are a soft, durable, rubber type material. The inside is filled with air. Once weight is put on the stone, they slowly "deflate" until the weight is removed. They help with sensory, learning colors, and learning numbers. They are definitely a must have in our home!

I noticed in a number of reviews people were disappointed that these flattened when you stepped on them. That is the way they are designed. They worked great for an obstacle course for students grades 1-12. They popped right back up after being stepped on. They were big enough to step on but small enough to be a little challenging for bigger feet. We enjoyed using them. I was wondering if they would be durable but they stood up to 70 kids of all sizes jumping on them just fine.

One of my 2y9m son's favorite! He always includes them in his obstacle courses! There are so many varieties for their use for gross motor skills, leaning colors and numbers. They get a bit sticky over time, but its easy to wash them! We love them! We need to get more in fact just to make a longer string because they are so fun to step on :)