So you have a bag of old tennis balls in the garage — a little flat, a little fuzzy, no longer good for a real match. Before they go in the trash, it is worth knowing that a tennis ball retired from play is rarely actually used up. Most still have plenty of life left for something other than tennis.
Here are nine practical, low-effort things to do with old tennis balls, from quick household fixes to giving them a whole second life.
First: Don't Just Toss Them
Tennis balls are surprisingly hard to get rid of responsibly. They are made of bonded materials — a pressurized rubber core wrapped in wool-and-nylon felt — that standard recycling equipment cannot easily separate, so most curbside programs will not take them. Thrown in the trash, a single ball can sit in a landfill for a very long time.
That is the bad news. The good news is that "hard to recycle" is not the same as "useless." Reuse and donation are almost always better options, and there are more of them than most people realize.
9 Things to Do With Old Tennis Balls
1. Give Them to Your Dog
The most obvious one for a reason. A ball that has lost its competitive bounce is often still a perfectly good fetch toy. Just supervise play, pick a size appropriate for your dog, and swap out any ball that cracks or gets chewed apart so it never becomes a choking hazard.
2. Put Them on Chair and Table Legs
Cut a slit in a ball, slip it onto a furniture leg, and it becomes a soft glide that protects your floors and cuts down on scraping noise. It is the classic classroom trick, and it works just as well at home. (Cutting should always be done by an adult with proper tools.) Teachers, we have a whole guide on tennis balls for classroom chairs.
3. Donate Them to Animal Shelters
Many shelters and rescues welcome enrichment toys for the animals in their care. Policies vary widely, though — storage space, sanitation rules, and what they can accept all differ — so always call ahead before dropping off a big batch.
4. Use Them as a Garage Parking Guide
Hang a ball from the garage ceiling on a string, positioned so it just touches your windshield when the car is parked perfectly. Pull in until the ball taps the glass and you stop in exactly the right spot every time.
5. Loosen a Stiff Back or Sore Feet
A tennis ball makes a handy tool for gentle self-massage — underfoot, or against a wall for your back. Plenty of people keep one around for exactly this. (We are not offering medical advice here; if you have an injury, check with a professional first.)
6. Protect Floors, Sharp Corners, and Tools
Beyond furniture legs, a cut ball can cap a sharp table corner, cover the tines of a rake or the blade of a saw in the shed, or pad anything that tends to scratch or poke. Cheap, soft, and grippy.
7. Make Them Into Kids' Crafts
A slit in a tennis ball turns it into a classic googly-eyed "hungry" coin holder or puppet that "talks" when you squeeze it. They also show up in all kinds of school and camp craft projects.
8. Donate Them to Schools and Community Programs
Youth tennis clinics, rec centers, dog-training groups, and schools all go through tennis balls quickly and are often glad to take balls that are no longer tournament-ready. A batch that is past its prime for competition can be exactly what a beginner program needs.
9. Send Them to a Reuse Program
When you have more balls than a single shelter or craft project can absorb — a club's season-end pile, a tournament's leftovers — a dedicated reuse program is the best fit. These are built to take balls in quantity and route them where they will actually be used, which is exactly what we do at Bark Balls.
Want the full breakdown on recycling specifically?
We wrote a companion guide on how to recycle used tennis balls — including why curbside recycling usually will not take them, and the better options that will.
The Easiest Option: Donate Them
If you would rather not turn your old tennis balls into a weekend project, the simplest thing you can do is give them a second life through a program built for it. Bark Balls collects used tennis balls from players, clubs, courts, and community members, then repurposes them — as dog toys, classroom helpers, and donations to shelters and community organizations — while supporting causes tied to animals, communities, and the environment.
It keeps usable material in circulation instead of a landfill, and it takes about as much effort as boxing them up. Check our donate page for current instructions, and if you run a court or club, our partnership page covers ongoing collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can old tennis balls be recycled?
Not easily through curbside recycling, because they combine bonded materials that standard equipment cannot separate. Reuse programs and donation are usually the better route. See our recycling guide for details.
Are old tennis balls safe for dogs?
Often yes, with supervision. Choose a size appropriate for your dog, watch for wear, and replace any ball that cracks or comes apart so it never becomes a choking risk.
Where can I donate old tennis balls?
Options include animal shelters, schools, rec programs, and dedicated reuse programs like Bark Balls. For larger quantities, a reuse program is usually the best fit. Contact any organization first to confirm what they accept.
How do you cut a tennis ball safely?
Use a utility knife or heavy-duty scissors on a stable surface, cutting away from your body. It takes some force, so it should be done by an adult — never by children.
How long does a tennis ball take to break down in a landfill?
A long time — tennis balls are not biodegradable in any practical sense, which is exactly why reusing or donating them is worth the small effort.
A flat tennis ball is not trash — it is a fetch toy, a floor protector, a craft project, or a donation waiting to happen. Whichever route you pick, you are keeping a good ball in play and out of a landfill. And if you would rather hand the whole pile to someone who will put them to work, that is what we are here for.
