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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Pop-Up Tents/Ball Pits/Tunnels
Josiegirl 02:38 AM 12-27-2017
Do any of you have sets like that? Are they durable Worth the money? Used a lot? Safe?

I have a simple tent but every time I get it out the kids go wild with it. I'm thinking if I have tunnels and a ball pit too, there might be enough room in it for everybody? These long winter months could use some extra indoor activities.

What do you all think? Thanks!!!
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jenboo 04:13 AM 12-27-2017
Originally Posted by Josiegirl:
Do any of you have sets like that? Are they durable Worth the money? Used a lot? Safe?

I have a simple tent but every time I get it out the kids go wild with it. I'm thinking if I have tunnels and a ball pit too, there might be enough room in it for everybody? These long winter months could use some extra indoor activities.

What do you all think? Thanks!!!
I just sold ours. I got so tired of chasing all the balls down. If i did it again, i would get a little blow up pool instead of the ball pits
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Jupadia 05:29 AM 12-27-2017
I have tunnels both outdoor ones (for summer) and seperate indoor ones that I use in winter. The kids love them but can go wild. I do like them though and if I had not got them as pass downs I would have bought some.
Had a ball pit but it got holes fairly fast. As well the kids mostly just liked throwing balls across a the room so I never replaced it.
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Cat Herder 05:33 AM 12-27-2017
I have a four way tunnel. I also have a bag of pit balls. I don't use them together. Bought the tunnel in 2013, used 3X a week, indoors and out, still in perfect condition. Better than the old "commercial" one. $25.00

https://www.amazon.com/POCO-DIVO-Tun...381383&sr=8-20
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Mike 05:58 AM 12-27-2017
Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
I have a four way tunnel. I also have a bag of pit balls. I don't use them together. Bought the tunnel in 2013, used 3X a week, indoors and out, still in perfect condition. Better than the old "commercial" one. $25.00

https://www.amazon.com/POCO-DIVO-Tun...381383&sr=8-20
That looks cute, and cheap so I'm going to order one just to have for the day I do start daycare.
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Josiegirl 05:59 AM 12-27-2017
Thanks all! I like the look and feeling of fun from a ball pit but what's been said about throwing balls everywhere was what has stopped me from actually spending the money. Well, that plus my dogs would probably eat half of them.
I might wait and see if many more comment but am heavily leaning towards buying that 4-way tunnel. It doesn't look too harmful or destructive.

I was looking at those adorable lit-up princess tents but then thought maybe my 4 yo dcb might feel overly reigned by princesses.
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Cat Herder 06:08 AM 12-27-2017
Originally Posted by Mike:
That looks cute, and cheap so I'm going to order one just to have for the day I do start daycare.
Turn down the lights, add a set of river stones ($30), flashlights ($7) and a blue (ocean) or red (lava) or yellow (quicksand) plastic table cover ($1) (or flea market bed sheets) and you have made their morning free play.

https://www.amazon.com/Worldwide-Sma...s=river+stones

https://www.amazon.com/Plastic-Large...R5AJT51EWG6EG9
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Cat Herder 06:17 AM 12-27-2017
Almost forgot, it is big. Please note the dimensions. 98 x 98 x 19 inches. 8 feet in each direction.
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HappyEverAfter 08:10 AM 12-27-2017
I recently had a parent gift me a small ball pit made by Infantino. It’s shaped like a turtle and meant for younger children. I can comfortably place my 7 and 8 month olds in there together and they love it. My 17 month old loves it too. I have a pretty strict “no throwing” rule in general in my playroom and the ball pit is no exception. Throwing the balls out or all over the place has not been an issue at all, though it may be because my group is so young.
Very briefly I had an extra pack n play on hand and put about 100 balls in it. I used it to entertain and contain my 2 of 3 kids while in the living room while I had my hands full with diaper changes/feedings/etc. They loved it but I added a 4th child to my daycare and needed the pack n play back. At some point I will likely purchase a small inflatable pool and put the balls in that in my playroom once they outgrow the Infantino turtle ball pit.
I have a small, short tunnel as well but it’s currently put away. My 17 month old loved it initially (was about 14 months at the time) but then began a bad habit of jumping/throwing herself on top of it from the outside and I couldn’t seem to get that habit curbed so the tunnel is put away for now. It’s a collapsible (fabric and flexible wire) kind and I was afraid she would jump on it and collapse it with one of the other little ones inside it.
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Josiegirl 08:51 AM 12-27-2017
Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
Almost forgot, it is big. Please note the dimensions. 98 x 98 x 19 inches. 8 feet in each direction.
Oh crud...is that 8' from the center to the end or 8' from one end to the other. Guess I should go look.

Love your idea though!!
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Mike 08:57 AM 12-27-2017
Originally Posted by Josiegirl:
Oh crud...is that 8' from the center to the end or 8' from one end to the other. Guess I should go look.

Love your idea though!!
end to end
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storybookending 10:05 AM 12-27-2017
I have always had the idea in my head that someday I would make my daycare kiddos a ball pit for the downstairs playroom but I have never got around to it. I have seen tutorials on Pinterest that use PVC pipe and deer netting (I am not sure on the durablility though and the throwing of balls is a concern.

The local McDonald’s closed down their ballpit (about 7 years ago now probably) and somehow a friend of mine ended up with all of the balls. He said I could have them if I waited u til Spring and dug then out of the slio and cleaned them all up myself. I might take him up on that offer. Although now that his nephew is getting older he might go back on that offer and make a call out for him. I’ll try to remember to message him in mid March and see if they are still available.
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Mike 10:59 AM 12-27-2017
Originally Posted by storybookending:
I have always had the idea in my head that someday I would make my daycare kiddos a ball pit for the downstairs playroom but I have never got around to it. I have seen tutorials on Pinterest that use PVC pipe and deer netting (I am not sure on the durablility though and the throwing of balls is a concern.

The local McDonald’s closed down their ballpit (about 7 years ago now probably) and somehow a friend of mine ended up with all of the balls. He said I could have them if I waited u til Spring and dug then out of the slio and cleaned them all up myself. I might take him up on that offer. Although now that his nephew is getting older he might go back on that offer and make a call out for him. I’ll try to remember to message him in mid March and see if they are still available.
Why not message now and see if they are still available in the spring? Less time for him to change his mind.
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storybookending 11:47 AM 12-27-2017
Originally Posted by Mike:
Why not message now and see if they are still available in the spring? Less time for him to change his mind.
They aren’t accessible right now bc of the snow, they plow the snow hills in front of the silos since they are only used for storage.
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Blackcat31 12:49 PM 12-27-2017
I HATE ball pits.

(I have tried the PVC DIY one and have a blow up pool)

The balls are tossed and pitched everywhere.
I spend more time saying "keep the balls in the pool" and/or "stop throwing the balls" that it's not fun for any of us.

I also HATE the pop-up tents and tunnels.

I've always got that one kid that has to try and lay down (from the outside) on whoever is on the inside of the tunnel and then the one inside cries.

Or I have kiddos that get half way through and get freaked out and want out NOW! Well...I am not climbing into it to help so figure out how to crawl all the way in or out.

The tents just fold back up if they aren't used correctly and so far in all my years of business I have yet to figure out how to get them to not try to move it all over or lay on its sides (collapsing it etc) so honestly, I personally find them BOTH to be a bigger PITA than they are worth.

But that might just be me.
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flying_babyb 02:16 PM 12-27-2017
we have a pop up cube and two tunnels. We made the rule, if you lay on, try to squish, hurt friends, or go the wrong way you have to take a tunnel break. So far ours look great adn get used daily (its winter)
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TheMisplacedMidwestMom 03:07 PM 12-27-2017
My tents never survive for long. I despise activities where I have to overly micromanage for extended periods of time. I've found with the tents if I do so much as go to do a diaper change the kids go crazy. So every few months I think "Hey lets get those out" and we go over expectations and everyone knows the rules and 10 minutes later I am putting them away because it was too much.

Last time even the newly 1 year old figured out how to stand inside and tip them over or crash them from the outside.

I've found them to be most useful with my crawlers... once they can stand its over.

We had a ball pit at some point, but all the balls are long gone. However, we've moved a couple times and I still occasionally find a ball.
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Sunchimes 04:32 PM 01-19-2018
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I HATE ball pits.

(I have tried the PVC DIY one and have a blow up pool)

The balls are tossed and pitched everywhere.
I spend more time saying "keep the balls in the pool" and/or "stop throwing the balls" that it's not fun for any of us.

I also HATE the pop-up tents and tunnels.

I've always got that one kid that has to try and lay down (from the outside) on whoever is on the inside of the tunnel and then the one inside cries.

Or I have kiddos that get half way through and get freaked out and want out NOW! Well...I am not climbing into it to help so figure out how to crawl all the way in or out.

The tents just fold back up if they aren't used correctly and so far in all my years of business I have yet to figure out how to get them to not try to move it all over or lay on its sides (collapsing it etc) so honestly, I personally find them BOTH to be a bigger PITA than they are worth.

But that might just be me.
Not just you!
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