What’s cuter than a toddler with a ball? The answer: Not much. Watching little kids interact with this particular toy is one of my favorite things to do. I love the looks on their little faces when they mistakenly kick the ball again just before they reach it, and the joy in their eyes as they race across the field to reach wherever it landed.
When babies and toddlers play with balls, they learn concepts such as location, size, and speed. They develop physical skills like throwing, rolling, bouncing, and chasing. The also discover the joys of playing with other children, sharing, and taking turns. I doubt there are many other toys that can do all that. I guess that’s why balls are one of the top toys for kids of all ages.
A recent issue of Babybug contained the following rhyme:
Bouncing Ball
By Pamela Love
Art by Juana Martinez-Neal
When you drop a ball,
First it bounces big…
Then it bounces small,
And then it doesn’t bounce at all.
When babies and toddlers play with balls, they learn concepts such as location, size, and speed. They develop physical skills like throwing, rolling, bouncing, and chasing. The also discover the joys of playing with other children, sharing, and taking turns.
Try reading this rhyme with your toddler as you bounce a ball. Let your child try to catch the ball as it bounces and help them collect the ball when it rolls away. Check out this article from the What to Expect folks for more information about when your toddler is likely to learn to throw and catch on his or her own, but rest assured that whatever age your child is, getting out the ball and rolling, bouncing, throwing, or kicking it around is good for his or her hand-eye coordination, muscle strength, and reflexes and makes for an overall fun experience.
