A USC Professor of Cognitive Development Watched His Granddaughter Play With b is for ball® for 5 Months. Here's What He Observed.
We receive feedback from parents often about b is for ball®, and we treasure every single note you give us. But last week, we opened an email that made us feel immensely appreciated.
While we're honored that b is for ball® has been recognized by TIME Best Inventions 2025, Red Dot Design Award 2025, and Parents Best Toys 2025, nothing is more heartwarming than receiving a letter from Dr. Frank Manis, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Southern California. He wrote to share his observations from the perspective of a developmental psychologist, after spending eight months watching his granddaughter play with what he calls one of the best developmental toys for babies he's encountered.
With his permission, we'd love to share his observations with you. For context, he purchased b is for ball® in the Choo Choo Train box—where the box itself is designed as an open-ended play object, not just packaging.
Dr. Manis is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at USC, where he has spent decades researching reading development, language processing, and cognitive development in children.
Read Dr. Manis's full profile at USC here.
He opened the email by noting the design choices that stood out in this Montessori-inspired toy:
"My granddaughter is 8 1/2 months old now, and the balls and box have been some of her favorite toys since 3 months of age. You really made a lot of great design choices that keep the baby's interest, including the movements of the choo-choo train boxes, the bold colors and interesting pictures on the boxes, the little hole for the finger at the end, and the ease with which babies can flip and turn the box in their hands."
He specifically appreciated the texture on the ball and how his granddaughter uses it for sensory exploration through touch and oral development—a key feature parents look for in non-toxic teething toys and food-grade silicone baby products:
"The balls seem to have a more attractive texture and feel in the hands and mouth than other similar toys. Even something as subtle as the texture of the surface of the ball is well-designed to be graspable by young infants. She sometimes prefers the top of the ball (split off from the whole) to other objects designed for teething. She will take the ball top out and explore the bumps and indentations on the inner surface with her finger. My daughter (her mother) agrees that the balls and box are perennial favorites."
Supporting Piaget's First Four Sensorimotor Substages: Developmental Theory in Action
Dr. Manis then analyzed this open-ended play toy through the lens of developmental theory, explaining why it functions as an effective cognitive development tool across multiple stages:
"From the point of view of the leading theories of cognitive development, the box provides opportunities for play at all of Piaget's first four sensorimotor substages, when babies gradually learn to link together perception and action. Piaget and Maria Montessori were both fans of play with well-designed objects as crucial to perceptual, motor and cognitive development. My granddaughter, Aubrielle, is currently at substage IV (8-12 months), when babies link two or more actions to attain a goal (e.g., turn the box over to dump the ball out). This is the age of the famous object permanence skill that Piaget first discovered. The boxes work for practicing object permanence skills at substage IV, such as hiding and finding. She is just beginning to show signs of substage V behavior (not usually seen until 10-12 months). For example, when one of the balls was stuck inside the hole in the train box, she could see it, and touch it but couldn't immediately get it out. She turned the box over, poked her finger in the little hole, and tried banging it. This held her interest as a puzzle for a few minutes. Piaget observed that babies of this age try to use multiple methods to solve little problems if the first one, or the typical one, doesn't succeed. Eventually, the box came open and the ball rolled out, but she didn't quite see the causal connection to her behavior. This is something you'd be more likely to see at ages 12 months and up."
Multiple Developmental Benefits: Fine Motor Skills, Brain Development, and Social Interaction
He went deeper, analyzing how different play scenarios create cognitive advancement opportunities across areas of development, demonstrating why this qualifies as one of the best educational toys for infants pursuing child-led learning:
"From the point of view of other theories of cognitive development, the box and ball provide opportunities to learn about gravity, and about the concepts of in, out, on, under, and about the various motions of balls (bouncing, bobbing, rolling, etc.). The box and ball are also useful for fine-motor and perceptual development. For example, she is pointing now with her index finger at the various pictures on the train box as her ability to perceive images develops. She is passing the ball as a whole or the parts of the ball back and forth from hand to hand and up to the mouth, which provides great fine-motor practice. I have yet to see her injure herself with any parts of the ball or box, and they have all held up well over a great deal of banging, throwing, biting, sucking, and so on. Last but not least, the ball and box facilitate social interactions. We have rolled the ball back and forth to each other, taken turns putting it in and taking it out of the boxes, and so on."
He also mentioned that if his granddaughter progresses to discover more creative ways of using this problem-solving toy, he'll be sure to send us feedback. He then concluded:
"I am an absolute fan of the Choo-choo train boxes and the balls, and I highly recommend that people get both for long-lasting value in terms of infant perceptual, motor and cognitive development."
Thank you, Dr. Manis, for taking the time to observe, analyze, and share. And thank you, Aubrielle, for being such a brilliant little researcher.
A Note on the Train Box
Dr. Manis followed up honestly: after weeks of determined chewing, Aubrielle tore a small corner piece from the cardboard box, so he set it aside temporarily. This highlights an important point—the train box is designed as an open-ended play object to complement the balls, offering rich exploration and learning opportunities, but it's not intended as a chew toy. However, the balls ARE absolutely teething safe! Once your baby enters an intense teething phase, simply set the box aside for later, like Dr. Manis did, knowing the indestructible silicone balls continue serving as teether, bath toy, and long-term developmental tool. Or introduce the balls first and add the box once your baby has moved past the teething phase.
Click to Explore The Full b is for ball® X Sundae Kids Collection
Recognized by TIME Best Inventions 2025, Red Dot Design Award 2025, and Parents Best Toys 2025
Why Parents Choose Award-Winning b is for ball®
b is for ball® is more than just a developmental toy—it's a learning tool that supports open-ended child-led play:
- Sensorimotor development
- Safe teething with 100% food-grade silicone (BPA-free, non-toxic)
- Object permanence and cognitive milestone achievement (for our Sundae Kids collection)
- Fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination
- Gross motor skills and endless giggles
- Sensory exploration with varied textures and patterns
- Open-ended play and creative exploration
- Easy cleaning — dishwasher safe and mold-free design
