Pool noodles are so inexpensive, and are great for a shoestring budget. Stocking up for the summer at the Dollar Tree only cost me a little over twenty dollars. Slightly more than last summer, but still affordable. Over the years’ they have been swords, floating devices and many other necessary supplies for games. Pool noodles have also been used in my house for protection on corners of cabinets when my kids’ were little.
So, since we love them, I thought I would share some of our favorite way to use them!
Outside Pool Noodle Activities
Pool noodles are great for bowling lanes. Cut them in half, line them up and tape together. On our back porch the bowling game was a hit! We used plastic, recycled 2 liter bottles for the bowling pins, and some sort of a smaller, but durable bouncy ball. Easy clean up too. The pool noodles folded up nicely to be placed in a corner until used again. Pool noodles are perfect toys on a shoestring budget.
Another game we enjoyed was the limbo. Using the pool noodle as the limbo stick made it quite interesting because they are so light and fall off at any touch. We had one kid stand on each end and hold the pool noodle in their hand. It was fun, and everyone got a turn at holding and playing the game.
Finally, pool noodles aren’t just fun in the pool, they make great tic tac toe lines. Using ten limbo sticks and taping them together helped us to make the tic tac toe board bigger. This game can be fun in many ways using bean bags, small rocks, sand toys, small balls, and finally nerf footballs.
Shoestring Budget Pool Noodle Games
Making other pool noodle games such as football field goals with some pic pipe involved slightly more expense, but was still doable on a shoestring budget. PVC pipe is not that expensive and is very available. Constructing the PVC pipe is the hardest part of the game, but once the frames are made the pool noodles go on very easy.
Making hoops for a frisbee toss with pool noodles is fairly easy. Using duct tape to hold close the pool noodle so that it makes a circle. Then make 4 or five different colors. Have kids toss frisbees for points. Each color is a different point. The one with the most points will win.
Pool Noodle Games for Swimming
Water tag is one of or favorite water games with a pool noodle. Playing this game with the kids is a lot easier for me due to the fact when you are in the water, they can’t hit you as hard. Sometimes with boys’ they don’t know their own strength. Pool noodles double for so many different games and work well for tag in the pool, but then they can be versatile for floating.
Another pool noodle game is sharks and minnows. We changed this game up a bit to use the pool noodles. Minnows get the pool noodle to swim away on, and the shark chases the minnow. If he collects all of the pool noodles the shark wins. Changing older games to keep interest is what keeps them around. In the past, we have changed up hide and seek, tag and freeze tag. All of these are fun to play in the pool with a pool noodle. Except hide and seek. We play that game on land.
Random Pool Noodle Games
One of my best ways of letting the boys’ be creative is to buy something and lay it around. Eventually if they are interested in using it, they do. A couple of summers’ ago I purchased about ten pool noodles. I kept them stored in the garage in a corner. To be honest I was going to use them for various games and homeschool crafts. Instead, my sons’ found them and they became their favorite thing to grab. First, they have been used to play a variation of hunger games. Second, they have become Star Wars light sabers. Next they have been used for playing a hot lava game.
These are all random games that my sons’ have made up when they play with each other. The pool noodles did not cost much, but have allowed for hours of creative fun. My suggestion to all of the moms’ out there reading this is to buy a bunch of bubbles, chalk, pool noodles, frisbees’ and other random open-ended items from the Dollar Tree. Place them in a basket and let the kids know they are allowed to play with them. You will be surprised at how fast boredom slips away when they are left to their own creativity.
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