Get Excited with Pool Noodles! A Collection of Play Ideas for Fun in Childcare

Pool cue play

Let's Play with Pool Noodles! [1-Year-Olds] | Minami Senrioka Yui-en [Nursery/Kindergarten Event]

Here’s an introduction to indoor play using pool noodles sold at 100-yen shops.

Please prepare some decorative balls and pool noodles.

Making tunnels with the noodles or lining them up as hurdles to jump over helps develop the ability to coordinate what children see with how they move their bodies.

In addition, activities like putting decorative balls into holes made from cross-sections of the noodles, or threading noodles onto a string, help build concentration and visual tracking skills.

Give various play ideas a try!

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Indoor game with pool stick rackets

[Improve Your Posture!] Play at Home with a Pool Stick Racket

This is a pool noodle racket game that kids and adults can enjoy! First, bend a halved pool noodle into a ring and secure it with tape.

Next, wrap plastic wrap across it in a cross pattern three times, and you’ve got a clear racket! It’s fun to play solo with a balloon, but making another racket to play with a few people sounds great too.

Raising your head and lifting your arms in a “hands up” position is said to help strengthen your back muscles.

Because it’s very light, it’s safe for toddlers to play with.

It’s recommended for both outdoor and indoor play!

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cute pineapple toy

Here’s how to make a cute pineapple toy using a candy container! Use an empty cylindrical candy box that matches the size of a pool noodle.

Insert a yellow pool noodle inside, then cut it to the width that suits a pineapple shape.

It already looks pineapple-like at this point, but you can add the pineapple pattern by scoring it with a nail or a thin stick.

Finally, decorate the candy case to look like a tin can using fabric scraps or wrapping paper—and you’re done! It’s perfect for pretend play or playing shop.

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The Ferris wheel spinning round and round

Let me introduce a water-play friendly, spinning Ferris wheel craft.

Gather pool noodles, a milk carton, wooden chopsticks, plastic spoons, and a utility knife, and let’s make it.

First, cut the milk carton to create the base on which the Ferris wheel will rotate.

Next, take a piece of cut pool noodle and make six evenly spaced slits along its side.

Insert plastic spoons into the slits with the handles pointing inward.

Thread a chopstick through the center, set it onto the milk carton base, and it’s complete.

Attach gashapon capsules to the plastic spoons to transform it into a Ferris wheel.

By keeping the balance even, the Ferris wheel will spin smoothly.

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Pool cue headband holder

Here’s how to make a cute headband holder using a pool noodle.

First, attach double-sided tape in about five spots on the pool noodle, then wrap it with fabric scraps as if you’re covering it.

Put some double-sided tape at the starting point, leave about 3 cm unwrapped, and trim off any excess.

Thread a ribbon through the center, and you’ve got a hanging-style holder! You can also make a base out of cardboard to turn it into a stand.

It’s meant for hanging headbands, but it could also be used to seat dolls or as a stacking game to keep blocks from toppling.

Give it a try!

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Balance tree of pool cue sticks

Let me introduce an exciting, heart-pounding balance tree made from pool noodles.

Get your materials ready: a pool noodle, a utility knife, plastic bottle caps, stickers, tape, and a paper cup.

Cut the pool noodle in half and make slits where the branches will fit.

Since you’ll be cutting with a utility knife, it’s best to start with small cuts and gradually adjust to the size you need.

Take the remaining half of the pool noodle, slice it lengthwise to create the branches.

Fit the trunk into the paper cup, insert the branches, and you’re done.

Try placing a spinning top—made by stacking two plastic bottle caps together with their indented sides facing each other—on it and enjoy the wobbly balance tree!

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Pool stick fountain & shower

Here’s a fun water play idea for hot summer days using a pool noodle! Secure one end of the noodle tightly to a garden hose with tape, and poke several small holes in the other end.

When you turn on the water, it sprays out of the noodle like a fountain.

Kids will have a blast chasing the spray and running through it! They can also run around, try to catch the water with their hands, and enjoy the sensory experience.

Be sure an adult supervises at all times and that you play on a non-slip surface for safety.

It’s like a little shower—highly recommended as a super fun summer activity!

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