ball pit
{{Short description|Padded box or pool filled with small colorful hollow plastic balls}}
{{Redirect|Ball pond|the community in the United States|Ball Pond, Connecticut|lake within the community|Ball Pond}}
A ball pit (originally called a ball crawl, also known as a ball pool or ball pond) is a padded box or pool filled with small colorful hollow plastic balls generally no larger than {{convert|3|in|cm}} in diameter. They are typically marketed as recreation and exercise for children.
File:Ballpitballs-japan-2020-1-3.webm
They are sometimes found at nurseries, carnivals, amusement parks, fun centers, fast-food restaurants, and large video arcades, frequently incorporated into larger play structures such as mazes, slides and jungle gyms. They may be rented for parties, and smaller versions are sold for home use.{{Cite web |last=Imad |first=Zainab |date=2022-04-16 |title=Discover the Perfect Age for Ball Pit Fun {{!}} TeddyCounty |url=https://teddycounty.com/what-age-is-a-ball-pit-for/ |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=Teddy County |language=en-US}} Ball pits are also sometimes used in therapy and educational settings, as they can provide a stimulating and sensory-rich environment.{{cite web|url=https://teddycounty.com/foam-ball-pit-safe-or-not/|title=Foam Ball Pit Safe or Not|date=January 30, 2023|website=Teddy County|access-date=March 24, 2023}}{{Better source needed|date=March 2023}}
Age for ball pit
History
Eric McMillan is credited with creating the first ball pit in 1976 at SeaWorld Captain Kids World in San Diego, US as a result of his experience at Ontario Place in Canada.{{cite news |last1=Goukassian |first1=Elena |title=A brief history of the ball pit |url=https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/4/4/18292466/ball-pit-history-playground-plyplce-soft-play |accessdate=4 April 2019 |work=Vox |date=4 April 2019 |archive-date=4 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404115728/https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/4/4/18292466/ball-pit-history-playground-plyplce-soft-play |url-status=live }} However, IKEA claims that they had a ball pit in the early 1970s in Kungens Kurva, Sweden.{{cite web |title=IKEA in Stockholm |url=https://ikeamuseum.com/en/digital/the-story-of-ikea/ikea-in-stockholm/ |website=ikeamuseum.com |access-date=27 May 2023}}
Urban legends
Beginning in the late 1990s, a number of urban legends arose about children being severely injured or killed in ball pit encounters with vipers{{cite web|url=http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blsnakes.htm|title=Snakes in the Ball Pit - Urban Legends|publisher=|accessdate=4 October 2016|archive-date=26 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826015504/http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blsnakes.htm|url-status=live}} or hypodermic needles.{{cite web|url=http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blneedle.htm|title=Needles Hidden Under Gas Pump Handles Are an Urban Legend|publisher=|accessdate=4 October 2016|archive-date=26 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826022313/http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blneedle.htm|url-status=live}} There is no truth to these stories.{{cite web|url=http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20010831/bounce-carefully-in-ball-pit#1|title=Bounce Carefully in the Ball Pit|publisher=|accessdate=4 October 2016|archive-date=6 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161006032917/http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20010831/bounce-carefully-in-ball-pit#1|url-status=live}}
In popular culture
In China Miéville's short story "The Ball Room" (Looking for Jake), the ghost of a child who died in a ball pit haunts a local IKEA-like store.
In the Johnny Bravo episode "Johnny Meets Donny Osmond", Donny pushes Johnny into a fast-food ball pit, where he comes across a young boy who claims to have been there since the age of five.
In the Rugrats episode "Piggy's Pizza Palace", the Rugrats jump on a costumed pig named Piggy as an act of revenge to get Angelica's tickets back. It causes the ball pit structure to split open, and the balls fall out all over the restaurant.
In season 3 episode 14 ("The Einstein Approximation") of the TV series The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon seeks inspiration in a ball pit at a shopping mall, then hides from Leonard, who then tries to retrieve Sheldon from the pit.{{cite news|last=VanDerWerff|first=Emily|title=The Big Bang Theory: "The Einstein Approximation"|url=https://www.avclub.com/the-big-bang-theory-the-einstein-approximation-1798164256|access-date=October 6, 2019|date=February 2, 2010|archive-date=October 31, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161031134801/http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/the-big-bang-theory-the-einstein-approximation-37774|url-status=live}}{{cite news|last=Potts|first=Kimberly|title=Every Inside Joke on The Big Bang Theory, Alphabetized|url=http://www.vulture.com/2015/10/big-bang-theory-inside-jokes-alphabetized.html|accessdate=August 25, 2016|date=October 20, 2015|archive-date=August 23, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160823070846/http://www.vulture.com/2015/10/big-bang-theory-inside-jokes-alphabetized.html|url-status=live}}
In 2014, a YouTube vlogger under the name Roman Atwood made a video of transforming the living room of his home into a massive ball pit, intended as a prank for his girlfriend who had returned from a trip. He later collaborates with another vlogger, Freddie Wong, to create a comedy video involving giant ball pit and "ball monster" prank.{{cite magazine|last=Waxman|first=Olivia B.|title=Watch a Guy Surprise His Girlfriend by Turning Their House into a Giant Ball Pit|url=https://time.com/3674421/house-ball-pit-prank/|access-date=August 25, 2016|magazine=Time |date=January 20, 2016|archive-date=August 22, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822215051/http://time.com/3674421/house-ball-pit-prank/|url-status=live}}
See also
- Inflatable castle
- DashCon, for the "extra hour in the ball pit" meme
References
{{Commons category| Ball pits|Ball Pits}}
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