Best/most used entertainment item for basement?

[Anonymous]

We finally finished our basement and are hoping to buy something fun for downstairs. We have a 12 year old DD and a 10 year old DS. Naturally, they have very opposite interests. Options are the standard foosball, ping pong table, air hockey, or a pop-a-shot basketball set up. We're not considering a pool table at all. DS is very into baseball but DH isn't keen on having such equipment in the house, though I'm open to suggestions of something less capable of putting holes in our walls

What have your kids gotten the most usage out of? Anything else you would recommend?

[Anonymous]

If you've got the space, ping pong.

[Anonymous]

We had a football table that was never used. The basketball hoop gets constant use; we’ve gone through about four basketball hoops over about 8 years.

[Anonymous]

Basketball for sure, the one with two hoops and games

Ping pong is good too but imo the basketball setup looks better and really does get a lot of use.

My son also uses his little putting trainer sometimes

[Anonymous]

We have a ping pong table and everyone loves it. Lots of family pizza and ping pong nights in our house.

[Anonymous]

Air hockey and basketball were both never used by the kids. One child plays basketball a lot and never used the one in the basement.

The only thing sort of similar that was used by DS, DD and friends was a big punching bag. All of them seemed to like to hit and kick from time to time!

[Anonymous]

Ping pong or that basketball thing with the net that keeps track of your score. Those seem to be favorites. We have ping pong table and it's a favorite with teens and adults.

[Anonymous]

Home gym equipment for your son and a ping pong table for when they throw parties in a few years

[Anonymous]

Ping pong! We had foosball and air hockey that were used a few times a year (at best).

[Anonymous]

We have basketball in the driveway, so I'd go with ping pong. It's easiest to fold up and push aside if you need more space for something, and lack of electronics means you can put it anywhere and not worry about cords and outlets.

[Anonymous]

We have ping pong and foosball. I’m glad our kids had both during their childhoods - but the ping pong table got more long-term use. Our daughters can beat almost anyone at both now - which is fun for them when they go to co-ed camps, etc and play older teenage boys.

[Anonymous]

We actually haven’t gotten very much use out of our ping pong table! We get more use out of our very basic home gym (no machines, just weights and exercise bands and a step up thing). I wish we had gotten air hockey instead.

[Anonymous]

I’m female and only had a sister- our favorite was our pool table. We always had tons of people over to play pool when we were in high school and college. Air hockey was also a hit. We also had a big poker table that was fun. And a popcorn machine!

I don’t know anyone with a ping pong table and I never learned to play.

[Anonymous]

We have a pool table that converts to ping pong table. We use them both frequently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had a football table that was never used. The basketball hoop gets constant use; we’ve gone through about four basketball hoops over about 8 years.

My twin boys really wanted a Foosball table at 10. They don't use it that often, should have gotten ping pong - but the space is tight.