We need to purchase some new balls, jump ropes and other little playground toys for one of our schools. I was wondering if any of you have suggestions for toys as well as companies that you like to purchase them from. Do we spend more for quality items or go cheep?
This is for 2nd and 3rd grade.
As always, thanks for your help!

When we used to buy supplies for elementary PE or playground games, we quickly found it was better to spend the extra on quality.

Cheap toys/balls just don't last with multiple classes playing with them all day/every day.

I don't remember the company - but our PE teacher always had catalogs that specialized in those type of supplies. And she would know which companies the school district might get a discount with. Eithe the company would extend the discount to the PTO or we'd run the purchase through the school.

Some of you bigger sporting good places have a team sports dept that can help you with this and different choices. We have orderd from school supply catalogs only to be very disappointed (a good quality for indoor play but awful once the balls went outside). We also found better quality jump ropes at a sporting goods store and the discount the manager offered us (we bought last season jump ropes- trust me, as crazy as that sounds a timeless item like jump ropes has a shelf life!) and were so happy with them.

And like JHB said, check with the "pros" the PE teachers! They get TONS of catalogs!!

I think the company we use is called Gopher. They send us a few catalogs a year. It is very high quality merchandise and we have never had any trouble with them.

I shop at Target when I have the extra 10% off discount. I find if I shop carefully I can get a lot of items on sale. Plus by using my Target card the school gets money through thier incentive program. I can get very high quality items and can pick and choose so I can get footballs, basketballs, etc. of variuos sizes to meet the kids different size requirements.

try s & S worldwide at www.ssww.com