Ball Pit

[midaycare]

Hello everyone! I've been gone for awhile dealing with some personal stuff, but I just have to ask this question about a ball pit I just bought:

So the ball pit is great, but balls do come out of it all the time. For the most part, I don't mind. It gives me a little extra exercise during the day happyface and keeps me entertained throwing them back in (I'm easily amused).

I do expect, though, the kids to help pick up the balls before lunch, or when I tell them to. Today they did not and I took the ball pit away. How long do I keep it from them? All my kids are 2.5 or younger. Do we try again tomorrow?

One or two bounces in the ball pit and balls are thrown out, so I can't ask them to clean that up every single time. I don't want another ball pit, because this one is safe and fits a lot of kids. What do you think?

[taylorw1210]

I would try again tomorrow. And if you need to take it away again tomorrow, then you have to take it away again. They will eventually get it. But I think taking it away for the day is good enough. Or if one kid isn't participating in cleaning up but others are, don't allow that particular kid to use the ball pit while the others still can...

[melilley]

I agree with Taylor, or maybe get it out again after nap and see if they clean up.

I had a little Mickey ball pit last year. It only lasted about a week and ripped. I limited the number of balls though; the kids would get too excited and would just throw them out. They were 2 and under at the time and it was hit or miss if they would pick them up.

I don't think I will ever get one again...for daycare anyways.

[Controlled Chaos]

We had a car's ball pit last year. It lasted about a month, got a fixable hole but I tossed it. I hated it! I kept the balls for toss games.

I would let them try again tomorrow.

[daycare]

at this age, I would do an hour, they will forget why it was taken away a whole day later.......

before giving it to them again, I would remind them of the rules. if you have to tell them one time while playing, then it goes back into being CLOSED for another hour.

I close our stations down when children are fighting over them or they are not being taken care of etc. I close them down in the morning and then I let them earn it back in the afternoon.

most of my kids are older..

[midaycare]

Thank you everyone!

I do love the ball pit so far ... But I guess I will see in a few weeks!

[Michael]

More threads on ball pits: https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.php?tag=ball+pits