Zorb balls are large transparent plastic balls filled with air and typically shaped like a flattened ellipse. The game’s concept is to jump inside the ball, hold on tight, and “float” across the room, trying not to touch anything.
It might sound easy enough but, as it turns out, this bouncing ball can be quite tricky for kids. There is still some way to go before we’re at a point where Zorb balls can be manufactured for a wide range of physical abilities in all shapes and sizes.
In the meantime, we can still enjoy this activity together as a family. And that’s what this post is all about – how to play with your kids easily and freely.
I’ve been playing with these balls for over 7 years, and I want to share my experiences with you. This will be slightly different from the posts I’ve done so far because I won’t be showing how to make a Zorb ball from scratch and inflate it. Instead, I will focus on the more important aspects of zorb ball play and share them with you!
This is what you need:
- Two Zorb balls of different colors – one for each child (or more if your family is bigger)
- A bag that can hold both balls properly – something like this one (big or medium-sized) or similar.
- A big open space.
- A lot of balls and other toys.
- An adult helper who doesn’t mind getting wet, dirty, or bruised.
- Kid-friendly protective clothing – lots of thin layers that can be easily ripped, including socks and shoes. The more skin you cover, the better!
- Okay, let’s begin!
The most important aspect of Zorb ball play is protecting your body from the ball. So make sure you wear very soft apparel with thin layers – ideally, you should cover your entire body because the ball can break through almost anything if it hits hard enough (and believe me, they can hurt!).
If you think your child might peel off his clothes while playing, make him wear a few plastic bags over his clothes. This will prevent any nasty accidents down the road.
We’ll discuss other more advanced protective measures, but first, let’s have some fun!
#1: FUN part I – Getting inside with your friends and family
Your goal is simple: get inside the ball, hold on and “ride” it like a horse. And then do the same with your friends or family members when they join in. I’ll describe two ways you can use one ball to get the other, but first, let’s see what can happen when two balls are used together.
First, you aim to get a smaller ball inside the larger one. In this situation, you can simply open up your hands and slide the smaller ball inside the large one. For most people, this works well, and they can stay inside for a few seconds. However, there are many situations where you may be unable to fit either side into the other – it depends on how thick the Zorb is. When this happens, there is still hope! Your next option is to try and break through from one side or another. Visit Kameymall to buy a zorb ball for your friends and family.
#2: FUN part II – The game of two balls
This will be a bit more difficult, but it’s still possible. You try to get one ball into the other, then try and get out of it (or help someone else do it), and then repeat. You can hold them with your hands or one of your arms, then try to get the other ball in. The best way to do this is to slide one of your legs inside the Zorb and let go of the other side (or try to break through).
#3: FUN part III – Getting out
When you cannot get out yourself, you may want to make a hole in the ball and then pop it out. You can do this in some ways, such as using a pencil or an object that can fit through but is too large for your hand. You can also try ripping it in one of these places.
#4: Safety
To be safe, staying away from the flaming ball is important! It can hurt if you are close enough and the ball comes at you. Make sure your kids don’t use this to get revenge on each other or ruin your property (check out Fun Part II for more information on that!).
Okay, so I’ll show you how to play with different-sized balls. Here are some tips:
I couldn’t fit either side into the other – I tried to get both balls inside but couldn’t. I put one piece inside the other. I opened my arms and let both balls go. I cut a hole in one of the balls and then popped it out.
#5: The stretch zorb
As you know, a Zorb ball is filled with air and gets its shape from the air pressure inside. This can be changed by adding water or making an “airlock,” a hole that keeps some air in a while letting other air out. We’ll show you how to do that here, but first, let’s have some fun with water! When you open up the ball and fill it with water and air, you’ll notice that it gets much smaller (or even disappears).
