Since the beginning of time nearly every civilization has invented and played with its own version of the ball. First made of rocks, minerals, and animal hides, the ball has evolved into a rolling, bouncing, spinning, whirling-through-the-air fixture of playgrounds, ballparks, backyards, sandlots, and city sidewalks everywhere. A ball has thousands of uses, and it has been the essential tool of play for kids growing up all over the world.