Ball Drop
In the top, out the bottom. The best twenty minutes a cardboard tube ever bought.
- Ages
- 9 mo–2 yrs
- Play
- 10–25 min
- Prep
- 4 min
- Mess
- barely any
- Energy
- calm
- Where
- anywhere
You’ll need
Things you probably have at home.
- a cardboard tube
- balls that fit through itGet it on Amazon
Optional
- tapeGet it on Amazon
- a bowl to catch them inGet it on Amazon
How to play
Before you start: Tape a cardboard tube to the side of a sofa, a door frame or the wall, angled downward. Put a bowl at the bottom.
Drop a ball in the top yourself and let them watch it come out the bottom.
Do it again. The second time is when it clicks.
Hand them a ball and point at the opening.
Let them do it over and over — repetition is the point, not a sign of boredom.
Move the bowl slightly so the ball misses, and watch them work out why.
What it helps with
Keep it safe
- Balls must be too big to swallow — bigger than a golf ball, no exceptions, and count them back in at the end.
- Tape the tube low enough that nobody has to climb.
Make it different next time
- Two tubes at different angles and see which is faster.
- Use a tube too narrow for the ball and let them discover it does not fit.
Cleanup: Tube goes in the recycling, balls back in the basket.
Three more like this
Learn something
Scarf Pull-Through
5–20 min 8 mo–2 yrs Low mess- a cardboard tube or container
- scarves or fabric strips
