Ball Pits: What are your experiences with them?

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

So for those who you grew up in the 80s and 90s, I know that at least one time...you played in one of those ball pits at either Chuck E. Cheese's, McDonalds or any other play place that had one. Ball pits have nearly gone extinct and there's a valid reason for that. People became concerned about cleanliness, which was the most important priority. Hundreds of kids would touch all those colorful plastic balls (and sometimes put them in their mouth...) every day...and then there were other things. Anyway, what are your experiences with ball pits? 

I used to love ball pits. They were so much fun to jump into. I used to be one of the kids who climbed up the net and jumped from a height back into the ball pit. I used to play in the one found at my local Chuck E Cheese's. 

[DubWolf 17,366]

Freaking Helpy when he misses the ballpit !

I can’t remember. How did I not get stuck  ?

[Splashee 28,566]

I think I had one moment at a ball pit. Slightly too old. Something about the balls making you feel floaty. It would probably have been fun if I had had access to it privately instead of at a public place with limited access.

By now, I don't think my age would allow me to even enter a playground without some form of a kid as a decoy.

[ExplosionMare 18,085]

Never was allowed in them, that's probably a good thing. Plus, according to FNAF lore, those things can accidentally cause you to time travel, which is kinda scary.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

6 minutes ago, ExplosionMare said:

Never was allowed in them, that's probably a good thing. Plus, according to FNAF lore, those things can accidentally cause you to time travel, which is kinda scary.

There were a lot of myths and stories about what happens if you go deep into a ball pit. It was rather entertaining to hear. 

[Fluttershutter 2,529]

I've only been in them once or twice in my life. People are way too anal about cleanliness these days. The last couple years times a million. 

[Northern Star 1,024]

We never really had them in our area.

We did have grain "pits" though and still do. Same idea, just with something like corn or wheat, but more snow like than ball like.

Edited March 21, 2022 by TheGleaner

[Wingnut 7,003]

I’ve only been in one when I was still barely small enough to go in.  It was at Sesame Place in Pennsylvania. I thought it was fun at the time but afterwards I had no real interest in doing it again even if I wasn’t getting too big.  

[EpicEnergy 23,224]

I can barely remember going to some ball pit when I was a smol child. Fun times.

On 2022-03-19 at 3:09 PM, Courageous Thunder Dash said:

Hundreds of kids would touch all those colorful plastic balls (and sometimes put them in their mouth...) every day...and then there were other things.

 

Spoiler

*Wonders what those "other things" were* 

don't answer unless your answer is rated PG13 or lower... 

 

[Tom Gallagher 33,595]

They were the bomb for me at that age, literally because that was always how I jumped in. I miss being that young. 

[Cash In 22,503]

Been in a couple when I was a kid. Obviously the hygiene issue is a thing, but I had fun in them.

[dead account 2,713]

I loved them! Even a supermarket in the next village had them when I was at the right age.

[Megas 27,767]

Loved them as a kid, but looking at them as an adult, it's wild to realize how filthy those things really were

[SparklingSquirrels 21,354]

Yeah I bet I played in one at some point. Indeed... those balls were surely never cleaned. 

But I turned out okay, so why not let kids have fun in them? Gotta build up those immune systems right? 

[Dreambiscuit 10,094]

There used to be one at Disneyland where I work, but it was closed down. I don’t like seeing things closed and the space left vacant, but it was a dumb idea anyway. It’s fine for Chuck E. Cheese and places like that but it’s a cheap shortcut at the House Walt Built. But getting to the point of the thread, I never took the plunge in a ball pit and never wanted to. I likewise never played at the McDonaldland Play Place or similar venues for the younger crowd. I always preferred a more refined style of entertainment, even when I was a kid.