We have a flower petal ball pool that's made of soft foam. It was a pretty fancy gift from Grandma and Grandpa (Bill's parents. My parents are 'Lolo' and 'Lola', which mean grandpa and grandma in Filipino/ Tagalog.) Matthew literally dives into it everyday, several times a day and tosses all the balls out. So, everyday, several times a day, I'm picking up balls all over our kitchen floor and tossing them back into the ball pool. He used to dive out but after a few head bonks on the floor, he learned to ask for help to get out. Lately, he's been able to get out of the ball pool properly. It helps that he's taller.
An easy and cost-effective way to create your own ball pool is to fill a small inflatable swimming pool with a bag of 100 plastic balls (available at Walmart). I learned this from a First Steps playgroup last year.
Another variation of ball pool I recently saw at a local playgroup is the Megaland Pop-Up Playset. The play structure is made of a collapsible, lightweight nylon and looks like a lot of fun.
The Verdict
We love the ball pool. It's fun for our ball lover and it has certainly helped his balance and gross motor development.
Related post:
Toy Review Tuesday: Balls
About 'Toy Review Tuesday': Every Tuesday, I write about our experience with a toy. This review is not to be construed as an endorsement of the product nor do I intend to put pressure on parents to purchase the toys reviewed. Questions, sharing your own experience, or any other helpful insights are welcome in the comment section.
10 comments:
Wow, Matthew is one lucky boy to have such a great ball pit. Noah loved these when he was younger and loves them still. He is also a ball lover, I have lost count of all the balls we have here.
I think everybody would go crazy for that ball pool!! What fun!! :)
Ria, what a great idea! After our move this month Lillian will have her own ball pool! I take her and the other two kids to a huge playland, similiar to the ones that McDonald's has, and she loves playing in their ball pool.
Looks like fun!
A 9.99 score on the (ball) pool entry!!!! :)
And what a clever way to get out of the pool!!!!! That guy has some serious problem solving skills & foresight!!!!!
Love,
Matthew's Proud Auntie Kris
look at all the different kinds of balls he has. I love that idea about using a plastic pool. Now I know what to do with the pool when winter rolls around! ha. :-)
We LOVE our ball pit...but we're super envious of that fancy flower petal treasure you've got going...
I'd add that it's also great for those with sensory/stimulation needs. LC is a sensory junkie and she loves the feedback she gets from feeling them all around her.
As a special treat, we also throw them in when she's in the tub. What a show...
As always, your toy-review entries are always reason enough to look forward to hitting the computer on Tuesday mornings...Thanks!
P.S. Are there any toys that you would strongly recommend AGAINST?
LOVE the fancy ball pool... but would've never thought of the inflatable pool idea. Thanks for giving our blow-up pool new life after the summer is over :)
Love Love LOVE the inflatable pool ball idea! Arite is ball crazy so this will be a nice "inside" treat using the pool. Thanks for the review and idea! Awesome!
Your boy is such a cutie! Matthew is growing so fast!
That is an amazing ball pit! IT looks like a lot of fun!
Thank you for visiting my blog and for praying and leaving sweet comments. I apologize for not doing the same. Trying to keep up, and not doing such a great job on a lot of days.
I appreciate your encouragment!
Blessings
Leslie
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