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A toddler squeezes the sides of a cut tennis ball with one hand while pushing one soft feed piece through the opened mouth with the other.
Fine motorAutism supportSqueeze And ReleaseIndoor

Tennis Ball Feed.

Can your child feed a hungry tennis-ball mouth? Squeeze it open, drop in one piece of pretend food, and let it close again, building hand strength and squeeze control with every bite.

Play time
5-10+ min
Age
1-3 years
Energy
Low
Mess
Low
Effort
Medium
Where
Indoor
Start here

The recipe.

Medium parent effort
3 things

What you need

  • 1 cut tennis ball with a mouth opening
  • A few soft feed pieces that fit through the opening while the ball is squeezed
  • 1 small bowl, tray, or clear spot to hold the feed pieces before play
5 min minimum

Setup

Then start the loop
Step 01
Set out one pre-cut tennis ball with a mouth opening that stays closed until the sides are squeezed.
Step 02
Choose a few feed pieces that fit through the mouth while the ball is squeezed open.
Step 03
Place the feed pieces beside the tennis ball.
"Ball is hungry."
The loop

How play unfolds.

Four panels show a closed tennis-ball mouth with feed pieces beside it, the child squeezing the mouth open, pushing one piece through while holding the squeeze, and releasing the ball closed before the next turn.
  1. 01
    Have your child hold the tennis ball in one hand and squeeze the sides until the mouth opens.
  2. 02
    With the other hand, push one feed piece through the opening, then release the ball so the mouth closes.
  3. 03
    Repeat with the remaining feed pieces, squeezing the mouth open for each one.
  4. 04
    When all the pieces are inside, squeeze the mouth open and shake them back out to reset.

Safety Check

  • Stay with your child the whole time.
  • Use only soft feed pieces too large for your child to put fully inside their mouth, and keep the extra pieces in your hand if your child still mouths play materials.
  • Check that the cut opening is smooth enough to use before you start.
  • Stop immediately if your child mouths a feed piece or throws the loose pieces.
Skill spotlight
Squeeze Control

Squeezing and releasing by hand to open and close the ball

This helps your child practice hand pressure, release timing, and repeating one simple container job from start to finish.

  • •Early. Your child may hold the feed piece near the opening and wait for hand-over-hand squeeze help.
  • •Later. Your child feeds the ball one object at a time and keeps the whole routine moving with only light support.
  • •Middle. Your child starts completing more of the squeeze and gets more feed pieces into the ball with fewer misses.
Real-world transfer
  • Using hand pressure on simple toys and tools.
  • Putting objects into a container one at a time.
  • Repeating a short start-to-finish job without losing the sequence.
Supporting the play

What to say in the moment

Match what you say to what you see.

Prompt ladder
Level 1 (Start)
"Feed the ball."
Level 2 (Keep going)
"One more."
Level 3 (Stretch)
"Open, then drop."
Level 4 (Extend)
"Let's feed them all."
If your child seems...
What you'd see
Focused
What to do
Say
"You got it in."
Add
Pause before the next object so your child can reach first.
Extend
Let your child squeeze the mouth open for the next bite without help.

Make it easier

Younger end
  • -Help your child's hand squeeze the tennis-ball mouth open for each turn.
  • -Use only a few feed pieces in one short round.
  • -Keep the object pile touching the side of the ball.

Make it harder

Older end
  • +Let your child complete the squeeze without your hand over theirs.
  • +Ask your child to pick up the next object without pointing.
  • +Let your child hold the ball steady with one hand and feed with the other.

If it's not working

If you see
If child ignores it
Squeeze the ball once so the mouth opens, let it close, then place the ball in your child's hand and offer one feed piece.
If you see
If child misuses it
Say, "Food goes in," put out one object at a time, and keep the extra objects out of reach.
If you see
If child gets frustrated
Put your hand over your child's squeezing hand and help press the sides together while your child pushes in one feed piece with the other hand.
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