It's summer and pool noodles are everywhere...Let's make some games! Materials:
- Pool Noodles (I purchased mine for $1 at the Dollar Tree)
- Clothesline or small rope that will fit in the hole of the pool noodle. (I found a synthetic clothesline at the Dollar Tree)
- Box cutter or Serated Knife
- Total Cost: $5 (I purchased 4 colors and the clothesline)
~Using a box cutter or serated knife, cut the pool noodle. My pieces ended up being approximately 1.5 inches wide.
~Depending on the skills you'd like to work on with your tot, use a permanent marker to write on the pieces. I made an ABC set and Numbers 1-20 set. You could also leave some blank and use them for patterns.
(Just a side note about my thinking process for the Numbers 1-20 Set: I had 4 colors of pool noodle beads. Instead of mixing up the colors, I chose to make them in sets of 5. For example, Numbers 1-5 are red and Numbers 6-10 are blue, etc. I thought this would be easier to pull the numbers I needed to use with my kids and would help visualize skip counting by 5's. I was thinking ahead, and not being random.)
Games to play:
- Lace the "giant" beads on a piece of the clotheline or rope. (Motor Skills)
- Lace the beads in ABC order. (Motor skills & Literacy)
- Lace the beads in Number order. (Motor skills & Math)
- Lace the beads to spell words or names. (Motor skills & Literacy)
I bought 4 colors of pool noodles and ended up with a ton of beads! Partner with a friend and share the wealth! Happy Summer!
