Blogger / 19 February, 2025 / Nanny Anita

Ball Drop Activity

A ball drop activity is very easy to set up for little ones from around 9 months old.  You don’t need very much to do it, and it takes no time at all to set up.

Make sure you follow my baby activities on Pinterest for more ideas.  Don’t forget to save the pin for later.

To do this ball drop activity you will need:

• Kitchen or loo roll tube
• Masking tape
• Balls

Simply tape the kitchen/loo roll tube to a cupboard door or leg of a table that is in reach of your little one as they are sitting up.  Then put a selection of balls that will fit through on the floor next to it.

The whole idea is that your little one will pick up a ball and drop it through the tube.

It is important to remember that the balls that you are using need to be a safe size for your little one.  You don’t want to use something that could be a choking hazard.  NC is very typical; in that she puts everything in her mouth.  However, for this particular activity she didn’t try putting anything in her mouth at all.  I used some big wooden balls by Grimms and some of the biggest pompoms I had.  In fact, by the end of it, she was trying to put all her wooden building blocks down there too.

Don’t worry if your little one takes some time to figure out what to do.  If they don’t manage to do it the first time, keep offering the activity at different times.  They’ll eventually get it.

This ball drop is great for many reasons.  It can help with developing those core muscles needed for sitting.  It helps with the development of fine motor skills and hand to eye coordination.  Finally, it helps with developing schemas.  Have you ever noticed how little ones like to put objects in things?  Well, that is a schema; a mental structure that a person uses to organise knowledge and guide cognitive processes.

If you enjoyed this ball drop activity, be sure to check out my DIY ribbon toy for babies and homemade peek-a-boo toys.

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