How Urban Legend Destroyed the Ball Pit • Hacker News Board

Re: How Urban Legend Destroyed the Ball Pit

#61

Post by dole » Mon, Jul 18, 2022, 6:16 PM UTC

willcipriano wrote: post #59

chrisco255 wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're still common in Chick-Fil-A, and they complement the playgrounds with family night activities for kids on certain days of the week. Chick-fil-A prob doing better than ever too.

I've never been to Chick-Fil-A, I'm not a big chicken guy, but now I think about it the one near me does have a spot for play place and none of the other chains do. Guess I'll have to try them out, any business that goes out of their way to make the experience fun for kids will get some of my money.

From what I’ve noticed, the Chik-Fil-A playplaces are considerably smaller than the McD’s and BK places of yore, just fair warning, YMMV.

Re: How Urban Legend Destroyed the Ball Pit

#62

Post by lotsofpulp » Mon, Jul 18, 2022, 6:27 PM UTC

yxwvut wrote: post #45

The article describes the lack of sanitation as a baseless part of the negative mythology, but a dearth of scientific studies (and questions of generalizability of the existing studies) does not mean that their reputation is without merit. When your kid finds turds in the ball pit you don't need a study to know there's a sanitation problem. Anecdotally, as a child I had a near 100% rate of coming down with an infecti…

Based on the frequency of my kids getting infected at daycare, I assume any activity where toddlers or even a little older get together has a near certain chance of transmission. Although, I still would not take my chances with a ball pit that I doubt is ever thoroughly cleaned.

Re: How Urban Legend Destroyed the Ball Pit

#63

Post by dfxm12 » Mon, Jul 18, 2022, 6:42 PM UTC

peggmeg wrote: post #47

Hi! This is the author of this piece, and since a lot of you seem to be interested in rise and fall of the ball pit, I wanted to add that there are two exceptions where the ball pit seems to live on (at least in the US): - Here and there, you'll find ball pits that seem to exist for the sole purpose of providing Instagram photo ops and seem to be more for adults than children (The Color Factory chain of museums is a…

Here and there, you'll find ball pits that seem to exist for the sole purpose of providing Instagram photo ops and seem to be more for adults than children

Come to think of it, the last time I saw a ball pit was at a party where Lipton was promoting sparkling iced tea (so there was a general bubble theme). You jumped into a ball pit and they took a video so you could post it to Instagram, or whatever.

Re: How Urban Legend Destroyed the Ball Pit

#64

Post by Baeocystin » Mon, Jul 18, 2022, 6:49 PM UTC

jaclaz wrote: post #49

micromacrofoot wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm glad you have a machine for cleaning them. One thing I noticed in the US, even as a child, was that ball pits were filthy and musty. I don't think they were ever cleaned.

Video of the "Ball Washing Machine" (this is actually from the US): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrHvFiePokI This is UK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8VjIJuMyiE

Huh. That goes a lot slower than I would have expected. I wonder at their procedure for getting all the dirty ones out before the freshly-cleaned ones start piling back in.

Not complaining, glad to see them taking hygiene seriously.

Re: How Urban Legend Destroyed the Ball Pit

#65

Post by schwartzworld » Mon, Jul 18, 2022, 6:53 PM UTC

Traubenfuchs wrote: post #16

Cockbrand wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But… the children! Won't somebody think of the children! Oh, they did, you say? I see :)

To be honest, that thing is scary even for me as fit adult male. One little mistake and I could seriously hurt myself. Same for the children. I would be very uncomfortable letting my own child climb around on this to be honest. I would probably let it, but feel bad the whole time.

Those rope structures are harder to fall off than you think. Ropes are easy to grab and don't get slippery or hot.

Re: How Urban Legend Destroyed the Ball Pit

#66

Post by dhosek » Mon, Jul 18, 2022, 6:59 PM UTC

My kids’ school has actually retained some elements of the junk playground. In the courtyard play area, there is a wealth of scrap wood that the kids use for building projects. When we did the tour before enrolling our kids, the older kids had just built a shed which I thought was appropriate because the school is based on John Dewey’s progressive education ideals, with his central example he returned to many times in his writings being, building a shed.

Amusingly, the director of the school, didn’t know this.

Re: How Urban Legend Destroyed the Ball Pit

#67

Post by romwell » Mon, Jul 18, 2022, 7:08 PM UTC

yxwvut wrote: post #45

The article describes the lack of sanitation as a baseless part of the negative mythology, but a dearth of scientific studies (and questions of generalizability of the existing studies) does not mean that their reputation is without merit. When your kid finds turds in the ball pit you don't need a study to know there's a sanitation problem. Anecdotally, as a child I had a near 100% rate of coming down with an infecti…

As an adult who grew up in country where ball pits simply weren't a thing:

My own ball pit? Hell yeah!

A public ball pit for adults? Depends on the crowd.

A ball pit for children? Haha no, there's no way someone didn't pee their pants in there, or dropped some food or snot.

It's surprising just how much mess a single chocolate bar can create.

I'd say actual junk playgrounds sound more sanitary.

Re: How Urban Legend Destroyed the Ball Pit

#68

Post by x0x0 » Mon, Jul 18, 2022, 7:14 PM UTC

yxwvut wrote: post #45

The article describes the lack of sanitation as a baseless part of the negative mythology, but a dearth of scientific studies (and questions of generalizability of the existing studies) does not mean that their reputation is without merit. When your kid finds turds in the ball pit you don't need a study to know there's a sanitation problem. Anecdotally, as a child I had a near 100% rate of coming down with an infecti…

And ignores all the people saying that cleaning them is the problem.

I'm yet another person who worked at a place with a ballpit as a teen. I loathed it. One Karen lets her brat with diarrhea in, and it's closed for 2+ hours as someone making minimum wage loads every single ball, some with shit on them, into a net bag and runs it through the commercial dishwasher. Then hand wipes every tube.

Meanwhile, a line of other Karens are taking out their rage at not having the ballpit available to them Right. This. Instant! on a bunch of minimum wage coworkers.

At least three times a month during summer, btw.

Re: How Urban Legend Destroyed the Ball Pit

#69

Post by asdff » Mon, Jul 18, 2022, 7:18 PM UTC

Playgrounds in restaurants take staff time to clean. You have to do the windows since they get all fingerprinted. You have to sweep and mop the floors. Usually you send someone into the structure itself with a pack of sanitizer wipes and hope for the best. At a busy fast food place like chickfila, where they staff 15 people on a closing shift, they can afford to have an area like this. At a mcdonalds with a staff of 2, no chance.

Re: How Urban Legend Destroyed the Ball Pit

#70

Post by plasma_beam » Mon, Jul 18, 2022, 7:22 PM UTC

x0x0 wrote: post #68

yxwvut wrote: post #45

The article describes the lack of sanitation as a baseless part of the negative mythology, but a dearth of scientific studies (and questions of generalizability of the existing studies) does not mean that their reputation is without merit. When your kid finds turds in the ball pit you don't need a study to know there's a sanitation problem. Anecdotally, as a child I had a near 100% rate of coming down with an infecti…

And ignores all the people saying that cleaning them is the problem. I'm yet another person who worked at a place with a ballpit as a teen. I loathed it. One Karen lets her brat with diarrhea in, and it's closed for 2+ hours as someone making minimum wage loads every single ball, some with shit on them, into a net bag and runs it through the commercial dishwasher. Then hand wipes every tube. Meanwhile, a line of othe…

Is there any other term than "Karen" you can use here? It's pretty offensive to anyone with a Karen in their life.