Pong Cups

Pong Cups! The simpler the better, especially when you are tired or don’t have time for set up. This play hack just takes cups and ping pong balls but can be great for sitting babies and up. Norah is 10 months old and this activity was great because she is recently learning to place the ball in the cup herself and shake it around. Babies who are a little younger, in the 6-9 months age range, may just like you demonstrating!

We played with these cups and balls in a few ways. You can start by placing the balls under the cups, so baby has to lift the cups to discover the balls. You can also place the balls in the cups, not fancy but it is still fun for baby to remove the balls! Then work on putting the balls back into the cups—you may need to assist or baby may have fun doing this herself! Norah loved to shake the balls in the cups and then chase after the balls to put them back in!

Remember that play doesn’t have to be complicated or flashy to be great for learning and motor skills! This activity can be fun for babies learning object permanence, that things are still there even if they can’t see them.

Baby should always be supervised when playing with ping pong balls, my baby likes to put them in her mouth but she is unable to swallow them. If your baby mouthing ping pong balls concerns you, you can do this activity with larger balls and use larger cups or plastic bowls or stacking cups.