But many parents wonder if ball pits are safe for children. There are three main things to worry about:
- The balls could present a potential choking hazard
- Children could be trapped beneath the balls and be unable to breathe or escape
- The balls could contain germs that could infect children
Rest assured that all three worries are completely unfounded and that ball pits are absolutely safe for children.
Why Balls Can’t Choke Children
The standard size ball pit ball has a diameter of between 4 and 5 inches. That’s far too wide to fit inside the mouth of a child, regardless of how hard they try to eat it.
So parents don’t have to worry about their children choking on the ball pit balls because, quite simply, they are too big to fit in their mouths.
Why Children Can’t ‘Drown’ in the Ball Pit
The shape of the ball is naturally round. Because it has no corners, there’s always room for air to pass around it. So even if a child is buried under six inches or a foot of balls, there’s no risk of them being deprived of air.
Most ball pits are a maximum of 12 inches deep. That’s enough room for children to walk around and bury themselves but not deep enough that the weight of the balls will prevent their escape. Plus, the balls are filled with air and are very light.
Why You Don’t Have to Worry about Germs
Ball pits used for party rentals typically are cleaned and sanitized after every use. But even if they weren’t, there no higher risk of children coming into contact with germs from ball pit balls than there would be from playing on playground equipment, petting a dog, or even sharing a textbook at school.
The bottom line is that ball pits make an excellent rental not just because they are safe for children, but because they are fun and kids love them!
