Long Summer days are perfect for making childhood memories. We love going out to the farm, zoo or parks, but some of our best days are spent relaxing at home. With home comforts and no time pressures we all seem to be more chilled and there are less arguments. I love seeing my daughters playing together in the garden so thank you to TJ Hughes for sending us a couple of review items to make the summer days at home even more fun. We were sent a Disney Mickey Mouse Patio Set and a swing ball set to review and my girls have been testing them out.

The Swing Ball set is made from durable plastic pieces and is easily assembled. I thought it was clever that you fill the base with water to make it heavier. This means that when empty it is light and easy to store, but when filled it is stable. Apparently filling the hole on the base with the watering can is a fun game too. The other surprise was that the set doesn’t just come with a tennis ball on a string, there is a small football too! You can either assemble the set at full height to use with the tennis ball and rackets or at a lower level to kick the football around.

There were no instructions in the box, but there is a diagram on one side of the box showing you how to assemble it. I found I had to Google to understand how to play swing ball (as I understand it you put the ball on the string in the middle of the coil and then hit the ball from player to player. One player aims to get it to wind round to the top and the other to the bottom of the coil, whoever achieves it first wins). The string is really long in this set and there is a winder to adjust the length. I found I had to knot the elastic at the top or it was too tight to rotate round. I’m not sure if I was doing something wrong though from being unfamiliar with the game.

The football needs inflating with the enclosed hand pump (which I handily used to reinflate the other balls in my garden too) and you attach using the same string. 

The 2 in 1 super set is recommended for ages 3 years and up due to small parts (I’m guessing this is mainly due to the needle in the hand pump?). It was too complicated for my 18 month old to play properly, but she enjoyed chasing the ball round. I enjoyed playing the games with my 5 year and found the height of the tennis ball set up worked well for both of us.

Mickey Mouse Patio Set

This Disney Patio Set is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse themed, there is also a Disney Princess one available in pink, but I thought this one looked more fun. The set includes: two identical fold up blue chairs with Mickey Mouse on (I love the matching items because it means no fighting over them), a small blue round table and a blue and green sun umbrella with more of the much loved Disney characters on. 

The table is easily assembled by slotting the two metal leg pieces over each other and clicking into the plastic table top. I recommend putting the top of the table upside down to make it easier to click together. The chairs are fabric over a metal frame with plastic arms. They need to be pulled open until the click which makes them secure and prevents accidental closing. To close them you need to pull the catch on the right hand side up . The umbrella is in two pieces which slot together easily.

The chairs are perfect for my girls to sit on. They are low enough that my 18 month old can climb on herself and the arms mean I have confidence she won’t fall off if she gets distracted. The table is about 48cm high and is a good height for the chairs.


The patio set is great for a drink in the shade after playing games in garden. I love that both the swing ball and patio sets can be taken apart easily for storage or travel.

***Disclosure: I was sent the swing ball set and patio set for an honest review***

You can buy the products from TJ Hughes here:
Disney Mickey Mouse Patio Set
Swing Ball Set