Amigurumi can look complicated before you have made your first few rounds. A little stuffed sphere keeps the focus on the details that matter most: counting stitches, shaping with increases and decreases, and filling the piece without stretching its fabric.
Set up for a spiral
Use smooth worsted-weight yarn and a hook slightly smaller than you might choose for a drapey scarf; a 3.5 mm hook is a useful starting point. The tighter fabric helps keep stuffing from peeking through, though your own yarn and tension will affect the result. You will also need stuffing, scissors, and a yarn needle.
This pattern uses single crochet (sc), increase (inc), and invisible decrease (dec). An increase means working 2 sc into one stitch, while an invisible decrease joins the front loops of the next 2 stitches into one. Work continuously in a spiral and move a stitch marker to the first stitch of each round.
Shape the small sphere
Make a magic ring and work 6 sc into it. In round 2, increase in every stitch to make 12 stitches; in round 3, repeat sc, inc six times to make 18. Work rounds 4 and 5 with 1 sc in each stitch, keeping the count at 18.
For round 6, repeat sc, dec six times to return to 12 stitches. Add a little stuffing now, shaping it gently with your fingers instead of packing it hard. In round 7, decrease six times to reach 6 stitches, then fasten off and use the yarn tail to close the opening.
Check the shaping as you go
If the sphere looks more like a cone than a ball, check that your increases and decreases are spaced evenly and that you have not skipped a stitch at the round marker. A small gap in the fabric usually means the hook is too large for your tension; try a smaller hook on your next sample.
To turn the sphere into a simple animal detail, embroider a face or attach crocheted ears after closing it. Embroidered features are a thoughtful choice for toys intended for very young children, and any small parts should be secured with their age and use in mind. Save this little shape as a practice piece, or make several in colors that suit your next amigurumi idea.