A lot of people wonder why an adult would want to own a ball pit.You have to smile while sitting in a ball pit.You float on plastic bubbles of joy when you turn to jello.One who spends a large portion of their summer in a balcony ball pit goes on about its stress-relieving effects, or about "deciding what 'being an adult' means in the 21st century" or even about how this is probably something you dreamed about as a child/teenagerHow does that not sound good?
Step 1: Pick out your size and location.
Unless you have a lot of money, you won't want to fill your living room with playpen balls.Partitioning off part of the ball pit from the spare room will allow you to keep the size to a minimum.If you are going to use your balcony, make sure it has a roof and is sealed off so that no balls can escape and no water or bugs can get in.The ball pit's position is important for both safety and economical reasons.You don't need to build two sides of your frame if you build your ball pit in a corner.Depending on the number of people you want to fit into it, a 4x8 section will give you plenty of room for 3-4 people to play in, or 1-2 to jump around in.3 feet tall is enough for the average person to get in and out of a building.How deep you want your balls to be should also be considered.It would take about 2.5 feet of depth to immerse a seated person.This calculator will help you estimate the amount of balls you will need and how much you should pay for them.
Step 2: Get some balls.
You can use the calculator linked above to find out how many playpen balls you need.Chances are that you will only need a few hundred balls to fill your space, so the number may seem large at first.A ball pit will need over 5,000 balls.There are cheap playpen balls online.It's a good place to find cheap balls.It's a good idea to clean them if they're used.You can wash them in your bathtub or spray them down with a one part bleach, nine part water solution.Don't put balls in your ball pit.
Step 3: Close the ball pit area.
You don't want your balls rolling all over the place.You have to make sure that you can prevent them from escaping the ball pit or the area that it is located in.If you are building a ball pit on your balcony or in a room with low windows, you will want to put up a screen to make sure the balls don't escape.The screen is cheap at around $10/roll.If you are outside, the staple gun makes it easy to tack up screen quickly.If you are building a balcony, you can either screen the entire area top to bottom or leave a hole or slit in the screen to allow you to exit it.While people play in your ball pit, be sure to use a strong material for your screen because it may come under a lot of stress.
Step 4: You need to assemble your frame.
There is a good chance that you will have drunk people playing in your ball pit.What is the point of having it otherwise?You are going to want to build yourself a sturdy frame.In the area you and your friends will use to get into and out of the ball pit, this is the most important.The example in the photo used long planked posts for the top and bottom of the picture.This needs to be extra strong since people would be jumping over the sides to get into the ball pit.Adding l-brackets will reinforce the frame.There are large plywood boards on the inside and outside of the four walls.To keep the sides attached and the walls secure, you can use more l-brackets on the inside corners of the ball-pit.
Step 5: It's a good idea to protect your ball pit.
There is a large wooden box.It's not the most fun for you and your friends to play in.The foam padding is here.Walmart sells packs of interlocking foam pads for $20 a pack.The floor and walls of the ball pit are made from this material and it is easy to clean.You will need about 8 packs of foam padding to cover the inside of the box.All the pieces should be locked together on the floor of the ball pit.Once the floor is covered, start your way up the sides, going around the bottom first, interlocking the pieces to the floors as you go.Attach the foam padding to the sides of the frame.To make sure the pieces stay in place, use large-headed nails.Once you have the bottom level done, you can glue/nail the pieces in place on the next level.The padding is higher than the wall of the ball pit.If you have used 2 squared pads, it should be at least 4 feet tall.Since your ball pit is only 3 feet tall, you have an extra foot of padding to fold over the top of your walls, covering any sharp edges, nails, potential splinters, or anything else that you or your friends could hurt themselves on while jumping around in your nearly completed pit.
Step 6: Add the balls.
This is the most important step in the instructions.Start pouring them in.If you can get a friend to pour them in, it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Step 7: You can add toys, friends and enjoy.
The ball pit needs a small basketball net.It is fun to shoot hoops with playpen balls, but it will also give people something to throw at each other.An inflatable shark makes sense.A shark should be in the ball pit.Call your friends, convince them that you have actually done this, and have a good time.