Friday, June 14, 2013

62 New Ways to Play with an Exercise Ball

The Exercise Ball is the BEST children's toy, that is not a children's toy, I ever bought.  Here are 62 new ways to use an Exercise ball (including 27 songs and rhymes) with your infant or child:

Babies and Young Toddlers:




  • jump on it like a Jumperoo
  • rock your baby to sleep on it
  • bounce on their bottom on it
  • rock on their stomach back and forth
  • rock on their stomach side to side
  • rock on their back back and forth

  • rock on their back side to side
  • roll upside down on their back
  • roll upside down on their stomach
  • roll in circles on their stomach
  • roll in circles on their back


  • rock side to side in a sitting position
  • rock front and back in a sitting position
  • roll in circles in a sitting position
  • lay on the ball on you back and fly your baby
  • practice standing on it with support
  • use it as a walker
  • roll it back and forth
  • try to bounce it like a basketball
  • watch it bounce around room
  • try to lift it
  • play it like a drum

Preschoolers and School-agers

  • sit on it at the table or desk
  • sit on it and try to lift one foot then the other
  • sit on it and try to lift both feet and balance
  • lay on it on your stomach and try to balance Superman style
  • lay on it on your stomach and walk hands forward, rolling ball to feet and back
  • lay on your back on the floor and try to lift it with both feet
  • try to balance it on one hand
  • see how long you can balance it above head in both hands
  • see how long you can balance it above head with one hand
  • play catch outdoors
  • lay on your back on the floor with feet on ball and try to lift bottom up
  • lay on your back on the floor and lift ball over head with both hands
  • lay on your back on the floor and balance ball on hands above head
  • lay on your back on the floor and balance ball on feet


Songs and Rhymes to use with the Exercise Ball 

(sources Kuffner's The Toddler's Busy Book, Silberg's Games to Play with Babies and my memory)


Father and Mother and Uncle John
(bounce gently in seated position or on stomach or back)
Father and Mother and Uncle John
Rode to the doctor, one by one
Father fell off
(Tilt to one side of ball)
Mother fell off
(Tilt to the other side)
and Uncle John rode on and on
and on and on and on
(bounce gently)

See-Saw
see-saw see-saw 
back and forth,back and forth
(rock back and forth in seated position or on stomach or back)
see-saw see-saw 
side to side, side to side
(rock side to side in seated position or on stomach or back)
see-saw see-saw 
give a hug, give a hug!
(give a hug)

The Upside Down Game
Upside down, upside down
all the world is upside down
Are you ready? 
Here we go,
right side up!

Motor Boat
(bounce slowly in seated position or on stomach or back)
Motor boat, motor boat
go so slow.
Motor boat, motor boat
step on the gas
(bounce quickly in seated position or on stomach or back)
Motor boat, motor boat
go so fast!


Slowly, slowly
(rock slowly from side to side or front to back in seated position or on stomach or back)
Slowly, slowly very slowly
creeps the garden snail.
slowly, slowly very slowly 
up the garden rail.

(rock quickly from side to side or front to back in seated position or on stomach or back)
Quickly quickly very quickly
runs the little mouse.
Quickly quickly very quickly
'round about the house.
(you can also bounce to this rhyme)

Round and Round the Garden
(roll round in circles in seated position or on back or stomach)
Round and Round the Garden
went the teddy bear
One step, two steps
tickle under there!
(tickle baby)

(roll round in circles in seated position or on back or stomach)
Round and Round the haystack
went the little mouse
One step, two steps
in his little house.

I Hear Thunder
(to the tune of Frere Jacques)
I hear thunder, I hear thunder!
(tap on ball with palms and encourage child to do same)
Hark, don't you? Hark, don't you?
Pitter-patter raindrops,
Pitter-patter raindrops.
(tap on ball with fingertips only)
I'm wet through,
(clutch self and shiver)
so are you!
(point to child)

Marching Song
(to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle)
(bounce gently in seated position or on stomach or back)
See the soldiers in the street,
Hear the marching of their feet;
They are singing as they go,
marching, marching, to and fro.
See the soldiers in the street,
Hear the marching of their feet.


Stop!
(roll round in circles in seated position or on back or stomach)
Round and round and round we go,
Round and round and round we go,
Round and round and round we go,
Round and round and stop!
(stop)
(Repeat, speeding up a little each time)

Row, row row your boat
Row, row, row your boat
(rock from front to back in seated position or on stomach or back)
gently down the stream
merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
life is but a dream.

Bounce, bounce, bounce your boat
(bounce gently in seated position or on stomach or back)
gently down the stream
merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
life is but a dream.

Rock, rock, rock your boat
(rock from side to side in seated position or on stomach or back)
gently down the stream
merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
life is but a dream.

Fly Baby Fly
(lay on you back on the ball and hold baby on your chest)
Are you ready to fly in the sky?
Here we go. One, two, threeeee!
(lift baby straight up from chest)
High in the sky!
Fly, baby, fly!
Wheee!

Peas Porrige Hot
(Bounce on ball gently in seated position or on back or stomach)
Peas porrige hot, peas porrige cold,
Peas porrige in the pot nine days old.

Some like it hot, some like it cold,
Some like it in the pot nine days old.

Bouncy, Bouncy!
(Bounce on ball gently on back or stomach)
Bouncy, bouncy baby.
Bouncy, bouncy baby.
Up and down, up and down,
Bouncy, bouncy baby.

hippity hop, bippity bop.
Bouncy, bouncy BOOM
(give a hug on BOOM)


If You're Happy and You Know it
If you're happy and you know it
Bounce Around
(Bounce gently on ball in seated position)
If you're happy and you know it
Bounce Around
If you're happy and you know it
then your face will clearly show it.
If you're happy and you know it
Bounce Around

(Roll Around)
(roll around in circles)
(Rock it out)
(rock from side to side)

To Market, To Market
(Bounce gently on ball in seated position)
To Market, to market to buy a fat pig.
Home again, home again jiggity jig.

To Market, to market to buy a fat hogg.
Home again, home again jiggity jog.

To Market, to market to buy a new gown.
Home again, home again
Whoops!!  The horse fell down.
(slide to one side of the other or lay back onto back)

Trampoline Game
(Bounce gently on ball in seated position)
Bounce, bounce up and down,
Bounce, bounce all around.
Bounce Fast
(bounce faster)
Bounce Slow
(bounce slower)
Bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce BOOM!
(give a hug on BOOM)

Ride a Cock Horse
(Bounce gently on ball in seated position)
Ride a cock horse, to Branbury Cross,
To see a fine lady, upon a white horse
With rings on her fingers, and bells on her toes,
She will have music wherever she goes!


The Dancing Game
Dance, little dolly, dance dance dance.
Dance, little dolly, dance dance dance.
(rock in seated position from side to side)
Up and down,
(bounce up and down)
All around.
(Roll around in circles)
Dance, little dolly, dance dance dance!
(rock in seated position from side to side)

Baby Aerobics
(lay on back on ball and move their arms )
Up and down, up and down,
now we'll move them all around.
Up and down, up and down,
as we do our exercise.

'Round the Mountain
(roll on stomach, back or sitting up)
Go 'round and 'round the mountain
Go 'round and 'round the mountain
Go 'round and 'round the mountain
And kiss those little toes.
(kiss baby's toes)

Ball Rolls
(Roll on back or stomach gently.
Roll the ball, roll the ball
back and forth, back and forth.
Roll the ball, roll the ball
One, two, whoooo!
(Dip a bit further on 'whooo')


Rock-A-By-Baby
(Rock baby in your arms)
Rock-a-by-baby
on the tree top.
When the wind blows
the cradle will rock.
When the bough breaks, 
the cradle will fall
and down will come baby, 
cradle and all.

Rock-a-by-baby
Thy cradle is green,
Daddy's a nobleman,
Mommy's a queen.
Betty's a lady
and wears a gold ring.
Johnny's a drummer 
and drums for the king.

Sleepy Time
(Rock baby in your arms)
Go to sleepy little baby.
Go to sleepy little baby.
When you'll wake
you'l patty patty cake.
And ride a shiny little pony.

Hold Me Close
(Rock baby in your arms)
Hold me close, hold me close.
Rock and rock and rock and rock.
Hold me close, hold me close.
Rock and rock my baby mine.

Back and Forth
(Rock baby in your arms)
Back and forth, I rock the baby.
Back and forth,
back and forth.
Go to sleep my precious baby.
I will watch you all the night.

Back and forth, I rock the baby.
Back and forth,
back and forth.
Pleasant dreams my precious baby.
When you wake I'll be right here.



Hush-A-Bye
(Rock baby in your arms)
Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,
go to sleep, little baby.
When you wake, you shall take,
all the pretty little horses.
Blacks and bays, dapples and grays
Coach and six little horses.
Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,
go to sleep, little baby.

Hush Little Baby
(Rock baby in your arms)
Hush, little baby, don't say a word.Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird

And if that mockingbird won't sing,Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring

And if that diamond ring turns brass,Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass

And if that looking glass gets broke,Papa's gonna buy you a billy goat

And if that billy goat won't pull,Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull

And if that cart and bull turn over,Papa's gonna buy you a dog named Rover

And if that dog named Rover won't barkPapa's gonna buy you a horse and cart

And if that horse and cart fall down,You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town.

Sleep Song
(Rock baby in your arms)
Goodnight baby, 
Goodnight baby, 
Goodnight baby, 
It's time to go to sleep.

Close your eyes,
Close your eyes,
Close your eyes,
It's time to go to sleep.

Sleep tight baby,
Sleep tight baby,
Sleep tight baby,

It's time to go to sleep.

Sweet dreams baby,
Sweet dreams baby,
Sweet dreams baby,

It's time to go to sleep.

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