diff --git a/narwhals/stable/v1/__init__.py b/narwhals/stable/v1/__init__.py
index 33531480c4..0ad44bc27c 100644
--- a/narwhals/stable/v1/__init__.py
+++ b/narwhals/stable/v1/__init__.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
 from narwhals.translate import _from_native_impl
 from narwhals.translate import get_native_namespace as nw_get_native_namespace
 from narwhals.translate import to_native
-from narwhals.translate import to_py_scalar as nw_to_py_scalar
+from narwhals.translate import to_py_scalar
 from narwhals.typing import IntoDataFrameT
 from narwhals.typing import IntoFrameT
 from narwhals.typing import IntoSeriesT
@@ -956,28 +956,6 @@ def wrapper(*args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> Any:
         return decorator(func)
 
 
-def to_py_scalar(scalar: Any) -> Any:
-    """If a scalar is not Python native, converts it to Python native.
-
-    Raises:
-        ValueError: If the object is not convertible to a scalar.
-
-    Examples:
-        >>> import narwhals.stable.v1 as nw
-        >>> import pandas as pd
-        >>> df = nw.from_native(pd.DataFrame({"a": [1, 2, 3]}))
-        >>> nw.to_py_scalar(df["a"].item(0))
-        1
-        >>> import pyarrow as pa
-        >>> df = nw.from_native(pa.table({"a": [1, 2, 3]}))
-        >>> nw.to_py_scalar(df["a"].item(0))
-        1
-        >>> nw.to_py_scalar(1)
-        1
-    """
-    return _stableify(nw_to_py_scalar(scalar))
-
-
 def all() -> Expr:
     """
     Instantiate an expression representing all columns.
diff --git a/narwhals/translate.py b/narwhals/translate.py
index a1b0e23239..d439890c6a 100644
--- a/narwhals/translate.py
+++ b/narwhals/translate.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-import numbers
 from datetime import datetime
 from datetime import timedelta
 from functools import wraps
@@ -46,6 +45,15 @@
 
 T = TypeVar("T")
 
+NON_TEMPORAL_SCALAR_TYPES = (
+    bool,
+    bytes,
+    str,
+    int,
+    float,
+    complex,
+)
+
 
 @overload
 def to_native(
@@ -843,16 +851,10 @@ def to_py_scalar(scalar_like: Any) -> Any:
         >>> nw.to_py_scalar(1)
         1
     """
-
-    pa = get_pyarrow()
-    if pa and isinstance(scalar_like, pa.Scalar):
-        return scalar_like.as_py()
-
-    cupy = get_cupy()
-    if (  # pragma: no cover
-        cupy and isinstance(scalar_like, cupy.ndarray) and scalar_like.size == 1
-    ):
-        return scalar_like.item()
+    if scalar_like is None:
+        return None
+    if isinstance(scalar_like, NON_TEMPORAL_SCALAR_TYPES):
+        return scalar_like
 
     np = get_numpy()
     if np and np.isscalar(scalar_like) and hasattr(scalar_like, "item"):
@@ -863,21 +865,30 @@ def to_py_scalar(scalar_like: Any) -> Any:
         return scalar_like.to_pydatetime()
     if pd and isinstance(scalar_like, pd.Timedelta):
         return scalar_like.to_pytimedelta()
-
-    all_scalar_types = (
-        int,
-        float,
-        complex,
-        bool,
-        bytes,
-        str,
-        datetime,
-        timedelta,
-        numbers.Number,
-    )
-    if isinstance(scalar_like, all_scalar_types):
+    if pd and pd.api.types.is_scalar(scalar_like):
+        try:
+            is_na = pd.isna(scalar_like)
+        except Exception:  # pragma: no cover  # noqa: BLE001, S110
+            pass
+        else:
+            if is_na:
+                return None
+
+    # pd.Timestamp and pd.Timedelta subclass datetime and timedelta,
+    # so we need to check this separately
+    if isinstance(scalar_like, (datetime, timedelta)):
         return scalar_like
 
+    pa = get_pyarrow()
+    if pa and isinstance(scalar_like, pa.Scalar):
+        return scalar_like.as_py()
+
+    cupy = get_cupy()
+    if (  # pragma: no cover
+        cupy and isinstance(scalar_like, cupy.ndarray) and scalar_like.size == 1
+    ):
+        return scalar_like.item()
+
     msg = (
         f"Expected object convertible to a scalar, found {type(scalar_like)}. "
         "Please report a bug to https://github.com/narwhals-dev/narwhals/issues"
diff --git a/tests/stable_api_test.py b/tests/stable_api_test.py
index c1b2f14043..c0a97f1547 100644
--- a/tests/stable_api_test.py
+++ b/tests/stable_api_test.py
@@ -87,6 +87,10 @@ def test_stable_api_docstrings() -> None:
         nw_doc = getattr(nw, item).__doc__
         if item == "from_native":
             v1_doc = v1_doc.replace("native_dataframe", "native_object")
+        if item in {"to_py_scalar"}:
+            # We don't overwrite the docstring for these
+            assert v1_doc == nw_doc
+            continue
         assert (
             v1_doc.replace("import narwhals.stable.v1 as nw", "import narwhals as nw")
             == nw_doc
diff --git a/tests/translate/to_py_scalar_test.py b/tests/translate/to_py_scalar_test.py
index 53c3df7385..3519b5e878 100644
--- a/tests/translate/to_py_scalar_test.py
+++ b/tests/translate/to_py_scalar_test.py
@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@
     ("input_value", "expected"),
     [
         (1, 1),
+        (np.int64(1), 1),
         (1.0, 1.0),
+        (None, None),
         ("a", "a"),
         (True, True),
         (b"a", b"a"),