ball, spherical or ovoid object for throwing, hitting, or kicking in various 

sports and
games. The ball is mentioned in the earliest recorded literatures and finds a place in
some of the oldest graphic representations of play. It is one of the earliest
children’s toys known.

A ball can be made from many different materials, leather, rubber, and synthetics being
most common in modern times. However, balls made from indigenous materials,
particularly from animal parts, were once the norm. For instance, among the Yahgan
(or Yámana) of South America a ball called a kalaka was made from an albatross web
(foot) that was blown up and stuffed with goose feathers and sewn. The Yahgan also
used an inflated seal stomach as a ball. Among the Navajo of North America, balls were
made from buckskin bags filled with seeds and held together by a drawstring.