Every parent learns the same lesson about plastic toys: they break in a week, they hurt when they fly across the room, and they lose the child's interest in a day. Baseball toys have it even harder, because a hard ball and a stiff bat are a recipe for broken lamps, dented walls, and tears. The Franklin Sports MLB Jumbo Foam Baseball Bat and Ball Set is the answer that avoids all of that. It pairs an oversize foam bat with soft foam balls, stamped with real MLB Team branding, and it is designed for indoor and outdoor play. I handed one to my own kids and a few of their friends for several weeks, and this review is the record of how it survived and how much they loved it.
Before the details, the standard note. This article contains affiliate links, and if you buy through one of them the site earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. That commission does not change what I test or what I recommend, and the set reviewed here was used exactly the way a family would use it.
Soft, safe, and built for the youngest players, the set earns its place in a toy box almost immediately. The rest of this review covers the design, the materials, how it performs in real play, and the right age range for it.
Design and Build
The set is wonderfully simple. The bat is an oversize foam cylinder with a molded grip and a barrel nearly as thick as a paper towel roll, sized for small hands but shaped like the real thing. It comes with soft foam balls, lighter than a tennis ball and spongy to the touch, so even a hard hit will not hurt and will not break anything nearby. The MLB branding gives the bat a stamped team look that children recognize, and it turns the toy into something a young fan can claim as their own.
The materials are the whole point. The foam is dense enough to hold its shape swing after swing, but soft enough to be completely forgiving on contact, whether that contact is a wall, a lamp, or a sibling. There are no hard plastic edges, no stiff handles, and no pieces that detach and become projectiles. The construction is simple foam all the way through, which means it is also waterproof enough for backyard use, easy to clean with a wipe, and light enough for a toddler to swing with both hands. Nothing about the set looks fragile, and in weeks of testing it never once looked worse for the wear.
Key Features
The headline feature is the safety by design. Because both the bat and the ball are foam, the set can be used indoors without the fear that usually follows a plastic bat in the living room. Children can swing freely, miss, and hit the furniture without damage, and a ball that flies off target bounces softly off a wall or window instead of breaking it. That one characteristic changes the toy from a supervised outdoor activity into an Everyday indoor one.
The oversize design is the second feature, and it serves a real purpose. The jumbo bat gives a young child a large target, which means they actually make contact, and making contact is what keeps a child engaged. When a three year old connects with a soft ball on the first try, the set has already won. The soft balls are light enough to toss, and they fly a satisfying distance outdoors without traveling far enough to be dangerous. The MLB team branding adds a layer of ownership, because children love choosing their team and talking about their bat as theirs.
Real-World Performance
The real test of a kids toy is whether children reach for it, and this set passed that test immediately. My kids went straight for it on the first day, and the oversize bat made contact easy enough that even the youngest could hit a tossed ball. The balls carry a good arc when hit, and in the backyard the soft balls flew far enough to feel like real hitting while landing without drama. The set went from the living room to the yard to the garage and back, and it handled all of it without a tear or a dent.
The indoor performance is where the set earns its keep. A rainy afternoon turned the living room into a batting cage, and the foam ball bounced off the couch, the wall, and a lamp without a single scratch or break. I did not have to hover or issue warnings, which is the highest praise a toy like this can earn. The bat never bruised anyone, the ball never stung a palm, and the fun carried on until the kids moved to the next activity on their own.
The durability held up over weeks. The foam bat kept its shape after hundreds of swings, with no cracking, peeling, or softening at the grip, and the balls stayed round and springy after being thrown, stepped on, and left in the yard overnight. The set survived a neighbor kid's visit and a trip to the park, which is the durability benchmark for any kids toy. The only wear I noticed was the paint on the logo beginning to rub at the edges, which is cosmetic and expected, and it did nothing to the play value.
The limits are the ones every toy has. The set is not a practice tool for real baseball, because the foam ball does not behave like a real ball and the bat has none of the weight of wood or aluminum, so it will not teach a child to hit a real pitch. It is also best for the youngest players, and by age eight most kids will be ready to move to a real tee ball set. Within its intended range, roughly three to seven, the set does everything a parent could want, and it does it without needing constant supervision.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Foam bat and balls are completely safe indoors
- Oversize bat makes contact easy for young kids
- Survives rough play, drops, and outdoor use
- Real MLB team branding children love
- Encourages active play and hand eye coordination
- Works in the living room and the backyard
Cons:
- Not a real training tool for baseball skills
- Best suited to ages three to seven
- Logo paint wears at the edges over time
- Balls can be lost outdoors in tall grass
How It Compares
The main alternatives are a plastic bat and ball set and a tee ball set with a stand. The table below lines up the three options.
| Feature | Jumbo Foam Set | Plastic Bat and Ball | Tee Ball Set |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indoor safe | Yes | No, hard plastic | Mostly |
| Best age | 3 to 7 | 5 to 10 | 4 to 8 |
| Damage risk | Very low | High | Low |
| Teaches hitting | Basic fun | Better form | Real swing |
| Durability | Excellent | Cracks easily | Good |
| Setup | None | None | Stand assembly |
A plastic bat and ball set offers a more realistic hitting feel, but it cracks, it hurts when it lands, and it cannot come indoors. A tee ball set is the right next step when a child is ready for a real swing at a stationary ball. For the youngest players, the foam set is the clear winner because it gets a child swinging safely from the first minute, and it is the only option of the three that the living room survives.
Who Should Buy
Buy the Franklin Sports Jumbo Foam Baseball Set if you have a child between about three and seven who wants to swing a bat, or if you want a toy that gets kids moving without making you nervous. It is a natural gift for the toddler who watches baseball with the family, for grandparents who want safe active play during visits, and for anyone who has ever regretted letting a plastic bat near the living room. The indoor safety alone makes it worth the small price.
Skip it if your child is ready for real tee ball, because that needs a sturdier bat and a stand, and skip it if you are buying it as a training tool, because it is a toy first. For the youngest sluggers in the house, this is the set to beat. You can check the current price of the Franklin Sports MLB foam baseball set on Amazon when you are ready to pick a team.
How We Test
I tested the set at home with my own children over several weeks, using it in the living room, the backyard, and a neighborhood park. I observed how easily they made contact, how the balls flew indoors and out, and how the set survived being dropped, thrown, and left outside. I checked the foam for wear, the grip for loosening, and the balls for damage after repeated hard swings, and I watched how long the toy held attention between other activities.
I did not test the set with real baseballs or as a pitching aid, because that is outside its design, and I cannot speak to long term degradation beyond a month of heavy play. For more ideas on active outdoor games for young children, Parents has a useful collection of backyard games for kids that is worth a read. The Franklin Sports jumbo foam set listing on Amazon shows the current price and the available team options.
Franklin Sports MLB Jumbo Foam Baseball Set: Questions People Ask
Is the foam baseball set safe to use indoors?
Yes, the bat and ball are made from soft foam, so they are designed for indoor and outdoor play, and they do not damage walls, lamps, or furniture on contact.
What age is the set made for?
The oversize bat and soft ball are aimed at toddlers and young kids, typically ages three to seven, who are still developing hand eye coordination.
How durable is the foam bat?
The foam core keeps its shape after repeated swings and does not crack like plastic, and the set survives being thrown, stepped on, and left in the yard.
Does the set work outdoors too?
Yes, it is made for indoor and outdoor use, and the soft ball still flies far enough to be fun in a yard without traveling far enough to be dangerous.
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