Waboba - Bounces on Water

Product Description

Sensory 4

Skills

• Children can practice visual tracking and autidory attention as they bounce or skip the Waboba ball on the water or to a friend.
• Depth perception can be encouraged as children toss or skip the Waboba ball into the water.
• Children can use the Waboba balls to practice visual scanning when it is being skipped or thrown out into the water.

Play Ideas

• A caregiver can set up different buckets of water around the yard for the child to bounce the Waboba balls into if he (or the caregiver) is nervous about water play.
• The child can hula hoop in knee deep water while a caregiver or peer tries to toss a Waboba ball into the hoop while it is circling. This provides vestibular input to the child while interacting with others.
• Have the child use a cup to catch the Waboba balls instead of using his hands to catch. This will hone eye-hand coordination, visual tracking and attention skills.

Adaptation Ideas

• If a child is blind or visually impaired, a caregiver can splash the water or make a noise as a sound indicator for him to throw in that direction.

Social/Emotional 4

Skills

• Self-esteem increases as children successfully throw and catch the Waboba balls and gain a sense of accomplishment during play.

• Waboba balls and the social interactions through game play can help children learn about social awareness and become conscious of other people.

• The Waboba balls can be used to model proper behavior with regard to personal space.

Play Ideas

• Using the Waboba balls as a social interaction tool, act out social situations for initiating game play. This helps children understand how their words and actions affect and influence others.

Physical 3

Skills

• Enhancing gross motor skills can be targeted during play as children throw, catch, skip, and toss the Waboba balls.
• Reaching and arm extension and whole hand grasp are encouraged as children throw the Waboba balls.
• Hand transferring and bilateral coordination can take place as children manipulate one Waboba ball between their hands.
• Because Waboba balls are made to play in water, this provides children who have high muscle tone (hypertonic) the opportunity to relax, stretch and release muscles during play.

Play Ideas

• Use a hula hoop in the water to practice bouncing the Waboba balls into the hoop and not letting them bounce out.
• Encourage strengthening of finger and hand muscles or arm muscles by squeezing the Waboba balls- similar to stress balls.
• A caregiver can bounce the Waboba ball on the water and the child can try to jump up in the air to get it before it lands back down on the water.

Adaptation Ideas

• Use a ball launcher dog toy to allow more leverage and independence for someone that may not be able to throw it on his own.
• Use a hula hoop as the “catch zone” for the child if the ball is too small to catch. He can hold the hula hoop outside of the water or let it float on top of the water and guide the hula hoop to catch the Waboba balls.