Image: MomJunction Design Team
The best ball toys for toddlers are safe and help them reach several developmental milestones. These are great for helping them develop cognitive and motor skills. They are safe to use because of no sharp edges and keep a toddler engaged for long hours.
Round-shaped toys or balls are greatly beneficial for your children between four months to three years. These tested and approved toys can help enhance hand-eye coordination and improve the child’s social skills during playdates.
When your child begins to walk and play, ball toys are enjoyable and have a versatile use. It also helps you engage with them and have a great time together. If you search for the best ball toys for your toddler, below is a collection you can choose from.
Top Picks
11 Best Ball Toys For Toddlers
1. Best For Sound Recognition:Sassy Developmental Bumpy Ball
The Sassy Developmental Bumpy Ball is an ideal playtime partner for your child. The durable ball features numerous large and chunky bumps in vibrant colors and patterns that encourage your toddler to grasp it and piques their curiosity. It comes with 2 gentle rattle bumps that help develop sound differentiation while creating neural connections. While the larger ball enhances gross motor skills, the relatively smaller bumps improve fine motor skills, making it one of the best soft balls for toddlers. You can also check this YouTuber’s detailed review to know more about the results after using this developmental ball toy.
2. Best Visually Appealing:Infantino Textured Multi- Ball Set
Why We Think It's Worth Buying
This product is a hit with users, evidenced by the 9,421 fine reviews on Amazon.
Infantino’s Textured Multi-Ball Set is a fun way to help toddlers develop tactile senses. Designed for babies aged six months and above, a single pack includes a variety of balls in different colors and textures. As the bright colors are visually appealing for toddlers, you’ll be excited to see your baby reach for different balls and explore different textures and patterns. Babies tend to keep everything in their mouth because of the sucking reflex during infancy, and these time-tested toddler ball toys are safe for your baby as they are BPA-free.
3. Best Entertaining:VTech Wiggle And Crawl Ball
Why We Think It's Worth Buying
More than 20,572 independent reviewers on Amazon have acknowledged the product's durability and functionality.
VTech’s Wiggle And Crawl Ball is one of the most entertaining ball toys for toddlers. It is packed with many surprises such as cute and tiny animal toys fitted to the ball that make different sounds when pressed. It features 45+ melodies, songs, and cheerful phrases that provide speech cues for toddlers at the babbling stage. The colors of the balls and the 5 flashing lights are visually engaging. The sensory ball rolls and wobbles, encouraging toddlers to crawl and reach out and improving their fine motor skills in the process. This trusted ball also provides sensory, visual stimulation and promotes language skill development.
Quick tip4. Best Engaging:Playskool Explore And Grow Busy Ball Popper
Playskool is one of the oldest toy-making brands, dating back to when present-day grandmas were toddlers. They’re unconquered when it comes to educational toys, and the Explore And Grow Busy Ball Popper Toy is one such product from Play skool. The toy set is designed for infants aged nine months and older, featuring five play balls that pop, drop, roll through the ramp, transparent tube, and the toy tunnel. When the toy is in action, lively music plays along, making it a fun auditory experience. This toy is a great way to keep your toddler engaged in a fun activity and excited about the colorful balls taking turns to pop, drop, and emerge. For a thorough review of the product, have a look at this YouTuber’s video.
5. Best For Motor Skills:Little Tikes Tot Sport T-Ball Set
Why We Think It's Worth Buying
The whopping 17,356 positive reviews on Amazon reflect the superior quality of this product.
If you’re looking for sports balls for toddlers or the kind of toy that acquaints your toddler with baseball, Little Tikes Tot Sport T-Ball Set is one of the best ball toys you can get your hands on. The toy set includes a height-adjustable T-stand that holds the ball for your kid to practice batting with a lightweight baseball bat. The set comes with 5 oversized balls and a large bat to make it easier for your child to hold and hit the ball. It can also be hung on the wall when not in use. This tried-and-tested toy is ideal for children over 2 years of age and is an excellent choice if you want to focus on improving their motor skills and hand-eye coordination specifically. Check out this YouTuber’s review of the product if you require more details.
6. Best For Dexterity:Playkidz Pound A Ball Toy For Toddlers
Playkidz Pound-A-Ball Toy is a colorful toy with 4 balls, a kid-friendly hammer, and a tower-unit that holds the balls in place. When hammered, the balls roll down on the slanting, zig-zag platform and tunnel to make its way to the bottom tray. This toy set promotes dexterity and hand-eye coordination as kids learn to hit the ball. Children love seeing colorful objects set in motion, and that’s why your child will love to watch these colorful rolling balls roll down through the tunnel. Whether you buy this ball toy set for your toddler or gift it to someone, you won’t be disappointed.
7. Best Multi-Colored:Kidoozie Ball Drop Toddler Toy
Playing with the Kidoozie ball drop toddler toy is an exciting and interactive way for little ones to learn about cause and effect. This colorful tower features five exciting obstacle-ridden levels for the balls to drop through. The interactive ball toys can be dropped from the top of the tower and be tracked as they whirl and roll through the different levels, promoting the development of hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills in children. Moreover, the bright colors and durable material of the toy make it suitable for children aged nine months and above.
8. Best For Indoor And Outdoor Play:Hog Wild T-Rex Dinosaur Popper Toy
Hog Wild’s dinosaur-themed popper toy is the ideal present for any dinosaur-loving child. The popper shoots six soft ball toys up to twenty feet when a child squeezes the dinosaur’s tail. This toy can also be used for exercising the hands, as the harder your child squeezes the dinosaur’s tail, the faster and further the dinosaur shoots the ball, making it a fun game that can be played for long. Moreover, the squeezable ball toy is portable and suitable for use indoors and outdoors.
9. Best Educational:B. toys by Battat Whacky Ball
The B. toys by Battat Whacky Ball is a fun and interactive learning toy for toddlers. This tried-and-tested colorful toy includes various textures, patterns, and shapes to help children develop their sensory and cognitive skills. The accompanying grip ball’s unique shape and weight make it easy for little hands to grip and toss, encouraging the development of gross motor skills. In addition, the different textures and patterns on the ball develop tactile awareness. And what’s more, the tactile ball makes a fun sound when it is rolled, thus engaging children and helping build their auditory awareness.
10. Best Simple:Rhode Island Novelty 7 Inch Knobby Balls
Rhode Island’s seven-inch knobby rubber balls are a set of five colorful and durable balls ideal for indoor and outdoor play. These knobby balls are made of high-quality rubber and are designed to withstand rough play and provide hours of entertainment. Moreover, the knobby texture on the surface of the balls makes them easy to grip and throw, making these bouncy balls suitable for games like catch and dodgeball.
Quick fact11. Best Lightweight:Cele Moon Kids Foam T-Ball Set
This T-Ball set features 8 balls, 1 baseball bat, 1 tee, and 1 carry bag. All the toys are made of the safe soft foam material and are lightweight so that your child doesn’t get hurt when playing. The bat is 16.5 inches, perfect for kids over the age of 1. 2 of the balls are the usual baseballs, and the other 6 balls are blue, red, and yellow. The bat is perfect for practicing the basics of swinging. The compact carry bag ensures that all the toys are stored in one place and makes it easy to carry. Trusted for safety and quality, the lightweight ball set is washable, so you never have to worry about your kids playing with dirty toys that could be unhygienic.
These are some of the best balls for toddlers that can keep your child entertained while promoting different skills and sensory stimulations. Let’s see what are the factors you should consider when shopping for toy balls for toddlers.
How To Choose The Right Ball Toys For Toddlers?
Most of us think that buying a ball toy for children is as simple as ordering any random colorful ball and waiting for it to be delivered. If you take a closer look, there are a few factors that you should keep in mind even as you buy something as basic as a ball for your baby. We’ve made it simpler for you with this list of factors.
- Safety comes first: Ensure that the ball toy you pick for your toddler is made from toxin-free materials and is certified safe. Check the manufacturer’s age recommendations to ensure it is suitable for your child. In addition, it should also be large enough to avoid posing a choking hazard.
- Weight of the ball: The ball should be light so that your child can play with it without getting hurt. The weight you settle on depends on how old your baby is. Plush balls are great for toddlers, or when they stop putting toys in their mouth. Non-toxic plastic, rubber, or foam balls are also preferable. Teether balls are great for toddlers who are teething. You may also consider inflatable balls as they are easy to store once deflated.
- Balls that stimulate the senses: Toddlers are drawn to bright colors and lights, so make sure the ball toy is bright enough to stimulate your tiny tot visually. Noise-making toys promote auditory stimulation, and textured toys provide tactile stimulation. Try to get a ball toy that stimulates your child’s senses in multiple ways so that it helps develop essential toddlerhood skills, and the child doesn’t get bored too soon.
- Ball toys that pique curiosity: For children over the age of one year, the toy ball should offer something more than sensory stimulation. You can look for musical ball toys or toy sets for group play. In addition, you may also use these ball toys during tummy time to keep your little one in the position for a couple of more minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the most popular toy for toddlers?
The most popular toys for toddlers are those that are multi-functional, or are easy to play with.
2. How do I clean ball toys?
First, rinse them with plain water, then dip a cloth in a soap solution and wipe the balls with the damp cloth, and again rinse them with plain water.
3. Are ball toys worth the money?
Ball toys are durable and versatile, making them worth investing in.
4. Are ball toys machine-washable?
Ball toys made of soft material like silicone or soft cloth are suitable for machine washing.
5. Why is toy safety important?
Toy safety is very important to consider before buying a toy for your child to prevent mishaps, such as choking hazards, ingesting toxic paints, or getting hurt from sharp edges.
Why Trust MomJunction?
Priti Bose delivers articles after in-depth research and provides high-quality content, especially on products related to kids. For this post, she studied various user reviews on different platforms to compile a list of the best ball toys that are toddler-friendly. She also included information on each product and a buying guide to help you find the perfect ball for your toddler.
Age-appropriate ball toys help keep toddlers active and engaged and are great for helping them achieve their physical and cognitive milestones. When opting for a colorful ball toy for your tiny tot, make sure that the toy is made from the safest material and meets all the safety standards. It should neither be too light nor too heavy, or it might discourage or disinterest them. Also, when getting a ball toy for your toddler, look for cute little toys that are colorful and help stimulate your baby’s senses and improve their attention span.
Infographic: Why Are Ball Toys Necessary For Toddlers
Ball games go beyond entertaining your little one and bestow some physiological and psychological benefits crucial for a healthy childhood. So, check out this infographic to learn how ball toys can help your child’s development. Illustration: Momjunction Design Team
References
- Smart Toys For Every Age
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/smart-toys.html
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