Chicco Goal League Pro Review

Reviewed by Caroline S

The Chicco Goal League Pro is a fun football toy aimed at encouraging active play for toddlers and preschoolers.

With a major tournament on the horizon this summer, you might be looking for ideas to set your mini footballers on the road to winning their own trophies one day. The Goal League Pro provides a fun way to practice aiming and kicking a ball, and it has two different modes of play which offer different levels of challenge. Lights, music and sound effects reward the player for scoring goals, and it can even move left and right for a trickier moving target!

When I received this for review, it arrived in perfect order and in sturdy but not excessive packaging. The box was easy to open and just a couple of small plastic ties held the main part of the toy in place, with the rest of the packaging being easy recycled cardboard.

A small amount of assembly is required, with the feet needing to be clipped on to the base of the goal. This doesn’t require any tools and just takes a minute or two. As I discovered, you do need to make sure they are firmly attached in order for the moving feature to work correctly. Batteries (4 x AA) are included and are already in place, so you can have the toy up and running very quickly.

The goal is about 50cm tall and 60cm in width and stands sturdily on the feet which give it a depth of about 25cm. This could be used out in the garden but is also not too large to be used indoors as well. We tested the movement out on carpet and hard floor and it worked well on both, but you might find the wheels struggle on long grass or fluffy rugs.

A soft, air-filled mini football is included which is a good match for the size of the goal.

Simple switches on the back of the unit operate the modes. One switch toggles between ‘Try Me’, Off, and modes 1 and 2. The other switches the movement on or off.

Mode 1 lets the player try to score penalties, with a whistle sound effect and cheers and music for a successful goal. Mode 2 gives a countdown and increasing levels of difficulty, with shorter periods of time to take your shot. Switching on the movement makes both modes more challenging, with the goal rolling a short distance left and right.

The tunes played are quite fun, and there are 20 different melodies giving a bit of variety, but as with many noisy toys some parents might wish that there was some volume control. Personally, I would have liked to have the option to turn the music off and just have sound effects.

The goal feels pretty sturdy and well made, although the net section is perhaps a little bit flimsy and might not stand up to very boisterous play for long.

The recommended age range is 2-5, but I think its size and appealing lights and sounds would make this a great buy for active toddlers younger than that too. The recommended price seems like good value for a substantial item which provides lots of options for play.

We had a lot of fun trying out the goal, and I can see it being something that children will come back to time and again as their physical skills improve.

Rating: 4/5

RRP: £24.99

This product can be purchased from Winstanleys Pramworld here.