5 Fun Play Ball Games and Activities for Kids
- Dec 11, 2024
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While the days of going to fast food places with indoor playgrounds to whoosh down the slide and jump into the ball pit are gone, you can still bring the fun home to your own living room!
Besides dumping them in a ball pit, there are numerous ways to use play balls at home to keep your kids engaged and entertained.
Play balls may seem like a simple toy, but there are so many benefits kids (and parents!) can enjoy. Play balls help little ones develop and refine their fine motor skills by improving hand-eye coordination and dexterity while also empowering them to use their imaginations.
And since they’re great for indoor and outdoor use, kids ages 1 and up will love the different options for play.
So, without further ado, let the games begin!
1. Basketball
You don’t need to have a basketball hoop to play this game. Pull out those laundry baskets, storage bins or any other round container and set it far enough away for your child to throw the balls into it. (Distance depends on your kid’s age. Put the basket farther away for older kids.)
If you have multiple baskets, put them at different distances, making the ones farther away worth more points. Using painter’s tape, label each basket with how many points it’s worth.
If you have multi-color play balls, you can also label the baskets by color, so your young ones can work on learning their colors.
This is an excellent game to help toddlers practice their throwing, which improves their gross motor skills.




2. Color-Sorting Game
Muffin pans aren’t just for baking delicious treats – they're for sorting play balls, too!
Just like the basketball game, this game is great for the little ones who are still learning colors. And since the play balls fit perfectly in the muffin spots, it’s easy for toddlers to place the ball into the pan.
If you have older kids, muffin pan toss – a popular carnival game – will keep them busy as they try to throw the play balls into the muffin spots from a distance. You can even up the ante by putting a label on the bottom of each spot that says which prize they’ll win if they land a ball in that spot.
3. Egg Hunt
It doesn’t have to be Easter time to play this game! Hide some play balls around the house, just like you would eggs, and have the kids go find them. (You may need to write down how many you hid and where!)
There are many ways to play this game. You can make it a timed game where the kids must find all 10 play balls in 5 minutes. You can also switch it up and have them find all the red balls first. Then blue, green, etc.
If you have multiple kids, you can assign a color to each kid. If they find their siblings play ball, they’ll just leave it where it is. The first child who finds all their play balls wins!
4. Shuffleboard
Throw a bunch of play balls into a basket and grab a roll of double-sided painter's tape. Start by sticking a few lines of tape on the floor at different distances – make each line about a foot long.
Following the same rules as shuffleboard, your child will roll a play ball on the ground and try to get it to stick to the tape. The farther away the tape, the more points they’ll earn.
This is a wonderful problem-solving game for little ones because they’ll have to figure out how slow or fast to roll the ball to get it to stick on the tape. This game also helps little ones develop their understanding of spatial awareness, which is another important developmental milestone for kids.


5. Water Play
Make water play more fun by adding play balls to the mix! When the weather warms up, and it’s time to break out those kiddie pools, water tables, splash pads and play centers, toss in some play balls to add another splash of enjoyment.
Bonus Idea: For year-round fun, take bathtime up a notch by throwing in a few play balls. Play balls will keep them entertained while you get them clean. A win-win!
If you’re ready to bring the fun home, play balls make a great addition to your kid’s playtime.