O-Ball

This is one of those toys that'll last a kid from infancy all the way through their teenage years. It's a few bucks well-spent. My daughter has been playing with her O-ball since she was around 6 months old. Here's what the play has looked like at each stage:

6 months:  Mostly chewing on it and batting at it when I hung it above her with some plastic links.  It was easy for her to grab and shake too.  Daddy also liked mindlessly throwing the ball in the air and catching it repeatedly as he was thinking or talking.  Samantha liked to watch.

Crawling:  it's easy to chase and get a good handhold.  Throwing the ball and giggling when it bounced was popular.

Just starting to walk:  throwing the O-ball down and chasing it.  Liked holding the ball and gnawing on it during diaper changes.  Pointing to the circles in it.  Smooshing the ball down and watching it go back into a ball shape.  This elicited giggles as well.

20 months:  Our new favorite game is 'throw the O-ball in the bushes and take it out'.   The title's pretty self-explanatory.  The O-ball is light enough that the circles catch on the branches for easy spotting and removing of the ball from said bushes by the toddler herself.  :)  One of her buddies likes to play 'ball up', which is basically tossing the O-ball straight up in the air and chasing after it when it lands.  We'll see what other games the kiddos invent as they get older.

What I like most about this ball:

- Very durable.  Its strong, flexible plastic can take a beating from being squooshed, stepped on, and chewed.

- O shapes make easy handholds, especially for kids who are learning to carry things, catch, and throw.

- Very lightweight; if someone gets hit with this ball flying through the air, there's much less chance for injury than many other balls. 

- Interesting shapes and bright colors; visually stimulating for young children (and adults too  ;)  )