EVERICH Toss & Catch Set Review: A Backyard Upgrade That Lasts

Sturdy, water-ready toss and catch set with 6 paddles and soft balls, ideal for active families, parties, and backyard play.

Price: $36.99

Rating: 4.6/5 (4703 reviews)

Pros

Includes six sturdy paddles
Soft yet grippy balls
Adjustable straps fit all ages
Durable stitching and materials
Works for beach and backyard
Great for group play

Cons

Pricier than basic two-paddle sets
Straps stiff for youngest kids
Sand reduces grip until rinsed

If you grew up with those cheap Velcro catch sets that warped after a weekend and shed fuzz like a golden retriever, the EVERICH Toss and Catch Ball Game Set feels like the grown‑up, fixed version of that same idea. Our kids’ gear editor brought this set to a family barbecue with six kids under 10 and two slightly competitive uncles; it stayed in near‑constant rotation for three hours without a single broken paddle or detached strap.

What you actually get in the box

This $36.99 set includes:

6 round paddles (plastic discs with a hook‑and‑loop catching surface)
6 fuzzy balls

That’s enough for three simultaneous 2‑player games, or a chaotic six‑person circle. Unlike the bargain-bin two‑paddle sets you’ll see at big-box stores, this is clearly aimed at families, camps, and birthday parties where multiple kids want to play at once.

Our playground gear specialist laid out a few comparable sets and immediately pointed out two things about the EVERICH paddles:

1. The catching surface is tighter and flatter, so the balls don’t sink in and get stuck at weird angles. 2. The perimeter stitching is denser—more like what you see on a decent sports bag than on a dollar-store toy.

For context, here’s how it stacks up against a couple of common alternatives we’ve used in schools and camp programs:

You pay more for the EVERICH set, but you’re also getting more paddles and noticeably sturdier construction.

Sticky where it counts, soft where it matters

The classic failure point with these games is the ball: too hard and younger kids shy away; too soft and it doesn’t stick. I took this set to a local park with a group of kids aged 4 to 11, plus one cautious 3‑year‑old. We rotated them through distance and speed challenges to see who had trouble catching.

A few observations from that afternoon:

The balls are softer than tennis balls by a clear margin. You can squeeze them easily with one hand, and when one hit our 4‑year‑old tester in the chest, tears lasted about two seconds—annoyance, not pain.
The hook‑and‑loop material on the paddles is aggressive enough that even lazy throws from 8–10 feet away stuck reliably.
Multiple kids commented that “it feels easier” than the cheap set at their daycare. When we swapped in an old discount-brand paddle, they immediately started dropping more throws.

Where the EVERICH set really won us over was consistency: the balls stuck similarly well across all six paddles. On cheaper sets, we often see one or two paddles that are noticeably less grippy than the others out of the package.

If you’re looking specifically for an outdoor game that helps kids practice throwing and catching without fear of getting hurt, this combination of soft ball + strong stickiness is about as friendly as it gets.

Built to survive actual kids (and some water)

Our testing team is pretty hard on outdoor toys because real kids are. We ran the EVERICH set through what we’d consider a typical summer abuse cycle:

3 backyard sessions on slightly damp grass
1 poolside afternoon with kids playing catch in the shallow end
1 beach morning with sand and salt spray
A week living in the trunk of a hot car

After all that, here’s what held up—and what didn’t.

Paddles and stitching The paddles use a noticeably thicker plastic disc than the generic sets we keep in the office toy bin. One of our testers (an adult) intentionally stepped on a paddle edge-on in the grass to see if it would flex or crack; it bent slightly and bounced back without stress marks.

The criss‑cross stitching that attaches the catching cloth to the plastic rim didn’t show any fraying or loose threads after our tests. On a cheaper Juegoal set we own, we typically see a corner start to lift or the border tape separating after 2–3 sessions. That hasn’t happened yet with the EVERICH.

Straps and adjustability Each paddle has an adjustable hand strap on the back. Our smallest tester (age 4) had the strap cinched down to near the end of its range and could still keep it on their hand, while an adult with large hands could fit comfortably with room to spare. The strap webbing and stitch points are beefier than on the Activ Life paddles we compared it to.

We did notice that younger kids needed help tightening the strap at first—there’s enough friction that it doesn’t slide easily by itself, which is good for staying put but a small usability hurdle.

Water and sand resistance EVERICH advertises this as water resistant, and in practical terms, that checked out. We dunked a paddle and ball in a backyard kiddie pool several times. The catching surface still worked when wet, though the ball picked up a bit more water and felt heavier until it dried. After air‑drying overnight, everything looked and performed the same as new.

On the beach, sand did get stuck in the hook‑and‑loop surface, which slightly reduced stickiness until we rinsed the paddles under a hose. This is standard for this style of toy; the EVERICH didn’t perform worse than competitors here, but you should plan on a quick rinse if your kids bury it.

Real‑world play testing with multiple age groups

I took a set to a cousin’s family reunion—14 kids, ages 3 to 14, plus several adults who should probably know better. We wanted to see whether the novelty would wear off quickly or if this would actually keep kids moving.

Over a 4‑hour window:

The EVERICH set was in active use for about 2.5 hours total, rotating between groups.
The 6‑paddle count made a bigger difference than we expected—no one was sidelined waiting for a turn.
Kids started inventing their own games: relay races, one‑handed catch challenges, and cooperative “don’t let it drop” circles.

This is where the adjustable straps paid off. Adults could jump in without feeling like they were using toy‑sized gear, and older kids flipped their paddles between right and left hands mid‑game without re‑adjusting.

Compared with the Activ Life set we’ve used at school events, the EVERICH paddles felt slightly heavier but more secure on the hand. The Activ Life’s lighter paddles are easier for very young kids but more prone to twisting sideways during harder throws.

If your household has a mix of ages from preschool to middle school, this set hits a sweet spot: forgiving enough for the little ones, solid enough that older kids don’t feel like they’re using baby gear.

Value: more expensive, but not just because of the name

At around $36.99, this set sits at the high end of toss‑and‑catch pricing. You can absolutely find a 2‑paddle set for under $15, and even 4‑paddle sets for $20–25.

Where the EVERICH earns its price:

Six paddles instead of two or four, which practically changes how many kids can play at once.
Better materials—thicker plastic disc, denser stitching, more robust straps.
Softer, more uniform balls, which matter more than most people realize for younger kids’ confidence.

We asked our parenting panel whether they’d pay the difference. The consensus: for a single child, the cheaper 2‑paddle sets are fine. But for families with multiple kids, or for grandparents who regularly host cousins and neighbors, the extra cost was worth it to avoid fights over turns and to have something that will last several summers.

If budget is tight and you only need two paddles, we’d still point to a cheaper Juegoal kit as a good value. But if you regularly host groups—or want a durable playground or camp game—the EVERICH set feels more like gear than like a disposable toy.

Who will love this—and who won’t

This toss and catch ball game is a great fit if:

You have 2–4 kids (or more) and want a low‑tech outdoor game everyone can join.
You’re looking for a birthday or holiday gift that encourages movement rather than screen time.
You need a simple, portable activity for the beach, park, or campsite that sets up instantly.

It’s less ideal if:

You only need a pair of paddles for occasional backyard use—cheaper sets will scratch that itch.
Your kids are already heavily into organized sports and want more advanced training gear; this is more about fun and basic coordination than serious skill development.

As one of our testers put it while packing up after a park session: “It’s the kind of toy you throw in the car and forget about until someone pulls it out—and then everyone ends up playing.” That might be the best endorsement we can give it.

View on Amazon