Ball pit

A toddler plays in a ball pit

A ball pit (originally called "ball crawl" and also known as a ball pool or ball pond) is a pit, usually rectangular and padded, filled with small (generally no larger than a baseball) colorful hollow plastic balls. It is typically employed as a recreation and exercise for small children. Ball pits are often found at nurseries, carnivals, amusement parks, fun centers, fast-food restaurants, and large video arcades. Chuck E. Cheese's and (now defunct) Discovery Zone formerly had ball pits and they were frequently incorporated into larger play structures, such as mazes, slides, and jungle gyms. In the early 2000s, Chuck E. Cheese's removed their ball pits due to safety concerns and because the pits were a drain on resources, since children would frequently steal individual balls until the pits were far below capacity and unusable.^{[citation needed]}

Ball pits may be rented for parties, and smaller versions are sold for use in the home. While ball pits are traditionally regarded as a children's plaything, some are large enough to accommodate adults.

History

The first known ball pit was installed in 1972 at the Children's Village play area at Ontario Place in Toronto, Canada. It was designed by playground specialist Eric McMillan, who is often considered the "father of soft play". McMillan took the idea with him to the United States, operating as Eric McMillan Inc., at SeaWorld San Diego amusement park's playground area "Captain Kids World".

Urban legends

Beginning in the late 1990s, a number of urban legends arose about children being severely injured or even killed due to ball-pit encounters with things such as venomous snakes or hypodermic needles. However, no such report has been verified.