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Video transcript

Narrator (Catherine Sewell, play specialist): Balls are fantastic for kids. They are a fantastic open-ended toy. From babies all the way through to 10- and 12-year-olds can be playing amazing games with balls. You can play with them outside. You can play with them inside.

And when we’re thinking about playing with balls, you can think about all the different shapes and sizes of balls, and maybe the textures of balls. So, something as small as a pom-pom, which is fluffy, is a really different experience to play with than a big heavy basketball.

Balls of different sizes and shapes are good for kicking or catching. Ping-pong balls are great, especially for quite young children, because they’re a good size. They can hold it in their hand. But we can also ask ourselves what else could this be? What else could this round shape be? Could it be the moon? Could it be my eyeballs? Could I create a monster character from these ping-pong balls on my eyes? There’s so many different ways you can go.

And the great thing about this is that it doesn’t cost much at all. It’s fun and it’s accessible for all ages and all abilities.

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Raising Children Network is supported by the Australian Government. Member organisations are the Parenting Research Centre and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute with The Royal Children’s Hospital Centre for Community Child Health.

Member Organisations

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  • The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne
  • Murdoch Children's Research Institute

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