Older children will benefit from playing with “youth” balls. These balls are typically 27.5 inches in circumference, making them large enough to help children master the game, but small and light enough to be handled by growing children. Youth balls on this list include the Spalding Rookie Gear Indoor/Outdoor Composite 27.5 Youth Basketball, the Mikasa Junior Size Rubber Basketball, the light-up basketball, and the Sportime Max Hands-On basketball.