Hi - yes, your Tama has to be an adult to use most items.
Children & Teens use the ball, the bear/doll (girls), the action figure (boys), plus pot plants and shovels - otherwise you have to wait for your Tama to evolve into an adult.
I hope you don't mind me adding something (off topic);
Please be a little more patient for replies.
TamaTalk is not like a chat room with instant responses - it is a forum, so the posts are seen/read over time.
Don't forget TamaTalk has members all over the world in different time zones, so you may not get a reply to questions straight away