Aniballers Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Lindsay Burton
Having two football mad boys in the house, I was very intrigued by this item: Aniballers. When I saw that the Independent rated it as the “Best Gift for football-mad four-year-olds” so I had to have a nosey for myself.
dCreated during lockdown by eight-year-old Veda Wilson and her dad, Matt, Aniballers developed out of time spent together at home—particularly moments when Veda was not particularly inspired by her dad’s coaching style. What started as a family project quickly turned into something much bigger: a playful, imaginative experience that blends football coaching with storytelling and confidence-building. Aniballers is not just about learning skills with a ball; it has been created with the purpose of encouraging children to stay busy while also helping them build resistance, self-belief, and a positive attitude through creative challenges and adventures.
Our three-year-old granddaughter was immediately drawn in by the combination of energetic activities, fun tasks, and collectable items that made each session feel like a game rather than practice. As grandparents, we loved how thoughtfully the application has a lovely balance between physical movement with a child’s imagination, keeping children involved without them feeling any pressure. The pack you receive just make it more exciting, featuring a fabulous Aniballers football, a personalised membership card, sticker packs, and a wall chart to track progress, all alongside access to the Aniballers training programme—making everyday activities into something that feels distinct, encouraging, and satisfying.
The recommended Age range is 3-8. This unique item most definitely encourages confidence and coordination and a great creator of active play. It supports young children at an age where movement, imagination, and self-belief are all developing quickly, making activity feel enjoyable rather than forced. Something to bear in mind is that it required some adult set-up but easy to do and easy application to use. Most likely best suited to children already showing an interest in ball sports. With a little support at the beginning, children can quickly settle into the programme and start to engage more independently as their enthusiasm grows.
When they are not kicking a ball around, they enjoy listening to you read the Essi stories to them. It keeps them interested and makes them excited to come back and play again, even when they are not being active. Aniballers helps turn natural talent into real skills by giving kids a clear routine to follow. They learn things like focus, control, and good habits, not just fancy moves. What begins as a casual kickabout soon becomes proper practice time that helps use their energy in a positive way. They can compete, have fun, and get better at the same time. The improvement happens naturally, and as their skills grow, so does their confidence, all while still feeling fun and playful.
Priced at £49.99 for a lifetime membership, this kit represents excellent value and is well suited to children who are just beginning their journey in the sport. It can be purchased directly from www.aniballers.com/?trk=public_post_reshare-text.
We rate this product 4 out of 5. It is highly creative and thoughtfully designed, encouraging meaningful interaction and quality time between children and the adults supporting them—an aspect that is increasingly absent in many modern children’s toys.
Rating: 4/5