
Written by Aparna Hari
Babies love to play ball. The round shape that just keeps rolling and bouncing away from them can delight all babies and keep them well-occupied too. A ball pool or a ball pit for babies is a must have. Take them to one and you will see how their tiny faces just light up.
You don’t have to teach a baby to play in a ball pit, and you cannot keep them away from one either. Ball pits are a big hit among babies and children alike. They love to sit amidst the colorful balls and explore their shape and texture. It helps in your baby’s development on various fronts as well.
In This Article
A ball pit is a small enclosure filled with many colorful balls. Some have tunnels or even a slide in them. It is very interesting and challenging for babies to move around on a layer of balls and reach the ball they are looking for. It can occupy your baby for a long time and help in their cognitive development as well.
Playing in a ball pit can help your baby:
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You can introduce your baby to ball pits once they can sit up without any support. Sitting in a space filled with colorful balls requires a lot of upper-body balance. They may not always find a clear spot to rest their hands on for balance.
If your baby is still wobbly and can’t sit up straight without support but still wants to play in a ball pit, get in with them. Most of these pits are spacious and since they are resting on the floor, they can take an adult’s weight too. Else, you can make your baby sit towards the edge of the pit and hold them in a seated position.
Are you wondering how a ball pit can benefit more than just playing with multiple balls at a time? Here are a few ways in which your baby can benefit from playing in a ball pit
The first thing a baby does in a ball pit is to jump up with joy. Even those babies who are yet to stand or walk will jump sitting. You can see the joy on their faces. They are eager to move and grab as many balls as they can. The balls can be slippery and difficult for a baby to hold easily. As a result, it makes your baby work their muscles – both the big and the small group of muscles, thus developing their fine motor skills effectively.
Your baby will see a ball and reach for it. It could be due to the color or distance. Either way, it requires babies to focus and move their limbs in the right direction, thus improving their hand-eye coordination.
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A ball pit is big, and many babies can play in it at a time. Babies learn to play with one another, communicate, laugh, and socialize. They will start throwing the balls to and at each other and come up with their ways to play with the numerous balls. These are important steps in bonding and socializing.
The balls are bright and colorful. When babies throw a bright colored ball, their eyes will start tracking it to see where it lands. This helps in visual development. Your baby will start understanding colors and movement when they play in the ball pit.
A ball pit for babies is a lot of fun and helps develop and improve many skills in a baby. If having a ball pit at home is not an option, you can always improvise and use a basket or a tub instead. You can also take your baby to other places with a ball pit.
[Read : When Do Babies Start Seeing Colors?]
Loose balls tend to go all over the place which can be discouraging for a baby. In a ball pit, the colorful balls are all close by, within reach, and encourage a baby to move and reach for them.
Ball pits help babies learn about colors, shapes, movement, and depth perception and increase their awareness of their surroundings as well.
Playing in a ball pit helps babies develop gross and fine motor skills, visual tracking, understanding colors, and socializing, and also helps improve their balance and movement.
Read Also: Finger Painting For Babies – How it Helps in Baby’s Development
Her experience in impactful writing combined with her background in Home Sciences makes Aparna the perfect candidate for content writing in the pregnancy and parenting niche.Read more.
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