Ball Pit Tents

What a ball pit tent is

A ball pit is a low walled play space filled with soft plastic balls for a baby or young child to sit, roll and play in. A ball pit tent adds walls, mesh sides or a roof, or joins the pit to a tent or tunnel. It gives a small child a defined space of their own on the living room floor, and when play is over most of them fold flat or empty into a toy box. Many are sold without balls, so read that line on each product before you order.

Playpens, soft pits, baby pools and ball pool tents

• Foldable playpens: a PVC playpen with a storage basket in 0.9m, 1.2m and 1.5m sizes, and a 120cm hexagon pool with a basketball hoop, mesh sides and a memory-steel wire frame. See children's indoor tents.
• Soft-walled ball pits with cushioned panels in 80cm, 100cm and 120cm, and a velvet sponge pit with its own floor mat. See children's tents.
• Baby ball pools: a grey mesh pool 115 by 100cm, and a forest green PVC pit that is not inflatable, in 80cm, 100cm and 120cm. See kids' tents.
• Ball pool tents and tunnels: a princess ball pool house, a pop-up pool tent with a shooting target, and an ocean tunnel with a ball pit. See play tunnels.
• An inflatable paddling pool tent for the garden, for water or for balls. See beach tents.

Size, walls and the balls

Choose the walls for the child. Mesh sides let you see in from across the room. Padded walls are kinder to a baby who is pulling up to stand and toppling back. PVC and polyester wipe clean, which matters with small children and snacks.

Most ball pits here do not include balls: the green PVC pit, the PVC playpen, the princess house and the ocean tunnel all say so. The mesh pool can come with 50 balls of 4cm, and some tent and tunnel sets with 100 balls of 5.5cm. Buy enough balls to fill the pit to the depth you want, and check the balls' own age guidance as well as the pit's.

Age guidance and supervision

Each product gives its own age guidance where the maker states one. The mesh pool says 6 months and over, the green PVC pit 0 to 3 years, the PVC playpen from birth to 24 months and on to 5 to 7 years, and the princess ball pool house 3 years and over. Stay with babies and toddlers while they play. With water, never leave a child alone even for a moment: the paddling pool tent is, in its maker's words, for use under adult supervision in a safe, shallow environment only.

Questions people ask about ball pit tents

Are the balls included?

On most ball pits, no. Where balls are an option, the product page says how many and what size.

Can a ball pit go outside?

Several are described for indoor and outdoor use, such as the padded pit in a garden or patio. Bring it in afterwards.

How long does delivery take?

Delivery is included in every price and tracked to your door. Each product page says when that tent usually arrives, so check it before ordering for a set date.

More to look at

• Play tunnels
• Children's indoor tents
• Children's tents
• Play teepees
• Beach tents
• All kids' tents
• Guide: Kids' tents and indoor play tents