Spike It Volleyball!

What is it? How is it used?

Spike It Volleyball! is a game that combines parts of foosball, pinball, and, of course, volleyball into a simple game that can be enjoyed by children ages 6 and up.

The objective of the game is to prevent the ball from landing on your side of the court. The child does this by moving a small joystick that controls an object in the shape of a semicircle, which represents the player being controlled. The game begins by one player pulling a plunger to "serve" a ball. This ball can be redirected by the player.

Physical Principles:

The game teaches children about gravity, projectile motion, momentum, the elastic properties of springs, and collisions. The game starts by stretching a spring, thereby added potential energy. This energy is then transferred to the ball, which immediately demonstrates projectile motion. When the ball is in play, the players use collisions between the player and the ball to send the ball in the desired direction, while feeling and seeing the effects of momentum and collisions.

Cost:

The toy is made out of cheap materials. However, the internal workings can become somewhat complex in order to connect the joystick to the player correctly. This should not prevent the toy from remaining rather cheap to produce.

Safety:

The majority of the toy is made out of a tough plastic. All of the other parts are contained internally, preventing any type of choking hazard.