What ball games can you think of? Tennis, rounders, golf, snooker, billiards, hockey (including field and ice), netball, volleyball, rugby, baseball, basketball, croquet, racquetball, cricket, lacrosse, bowls, polo and, of course, not forgetting football!
All these ball games have evolved over thousands of years. The earliest balls and some of the games that were played with them were perhaps in existence as long as 7,000 years ago, with the ancient Egyptians playing a form of bowling and handball.
It is believed the first balls were made from stone or wood, not a ball you would want to be hit with! Thankfully the ball slowly evolved and began to be made from stuffed or inflated leather and used for specific games. For example, the golf ball with dimples, the fuzzy surfaced tennis ball, the odd shape of the rugby ball and the ball used in ten-pin bowling with finger holes.
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