We first discovered the ODD Ball after taking our kids to an electronic music workshop, where they had the opportunity to play with a variety of DJ decks, synths, loop pedals, and other unusual equipment. Back at home, we wanted to keep that spark alive with something playful, approachable and affordable. We looked into the Ableton Move but weren’t ready to spend hundreds yet, and Bop It just wasn’t cutting it anymore. That’s when we found ODD Ball. On first glance, it’s a bit of a puzzling device, but it makes perfect sense once you see it in action. On the surface, it’s just a silicone ball, but connect it via Bluetooth to a phone or tablet and every bounce, twist, or shake turns into sound.
First impressions were good. ODD Ball arrives in a neat tin that doubles as storage, keeping the ball safe and making it feel more like a design object than an instrument. The setup was refreshingly simple, and within minutes, both our kids (five and nine) were experimenting with a bounce for a kick drum, a twist for a hi-hat, and a shake for whatever sound you’ve programmed. What could have been a fiddly learning curve turned into an instant loop-making session. As a designer, I really appreciate the thinking behind this piece of kit. It’s lightweight, durable, and intuitive, and even our youngest figured out how to play without much help.
A better use of screen time.
Being cautious about screentime in our house, we were a little hesitant about introducing another iPad-based activity, but the exercise is purposeful and teaches both coordination and music. After a short play, the kids could see how loops stack, how tracks are built, and how effects transform sound. Our eldest was fascinated by recording her own noises, which you do through the Create function. Simply make a noise into the mic, map it to a move of your choice, and then it’s suddenly part of the beat. Our youngest was more chaotic, throwing it around and laughing at the surprise sounds. Both approaches felt equally creative, and as parents, we loved watching their confidence grow. We noticed our eldest getting better at rhythm and timing after a few hours with this and our youngest started testing faster and slower bounces to see what would happen.
“ODD Ball doesn’t just let kids make beats, it encourages them to think differently about music, sound, and creativity itself. It’s also just great fun to play with!”
Experimentation Over Perfection.
As with any experimental device, this one is not perfect. Sometimes gestures don’t register, and unless you’re a pro, you won’t be producing polished tracks, but that’s not the point. OddBall is about play, experimentation, and discovery. It breaks down the barriers of traditional instruments, which can take months to learn. It introduces the idea of software combining with sound, which was something they had experienced at the music workshop that initially encouraged this purchase.
In our house, ODD Ball has become one of those go-to tools the kids grab when they want to do something different. It brings the family together, and that’s also important. The kids get to see us produce slightly more polished beats and melodies, which encourages them to learn how we do it. Currently, they play in short bursts of around 20-30 minutes at a time, but we can see that growing as they discover new sounds and techniques. The only limitation is the battery life (ODD Ball state lasts around five hours, although we’ve found it to be a bit less).
We only have one of these at the moment, but you can also sync up multiple balls, giving each one it’s own set of sounds to combine into music with more depth. There’s a video on ODD Balls website of someone playing the Guns N’ Roses classic Sweet Child O’ Mine by juggling three balls which still blows my mind (and the kids’).
“It’s really fun and lets me make music, sing and make my own songs, but it would be better if the app could be quicker.”— Mila, Age 9.
- What We Like: It’s totally different to any instrument we’ve used before. It’s playful, fun and brings the family together while at the same time, it’s good for solo music-making. The tactile nature of the ball is great for younger kids, and as an early intro to electronic music making it’s the perfect instrument to keep young minds engaged.
- What to Consider: Firstly, it encourages screen-time. Your device needs to be fairly recent (2021 onwards ideally). The app itself can be a bit glitchy, and there’s no indication of how much battery life the ODD Ball has left. That’s just a small price to pay for the fun it provides when it’s working.
- Where to buy: Being an independent, the best place to buy is directly from ODD Ball itself, which you can visit here. www.oddballism.com
