50 Easy and Creative Pool Noodle Activities for Toddlers You Need to Try

Living in the 21st century, pool noodles are no longer as exciting for their intended use. People have gotten more creative with this amazing invention, particularly when coming up with pool noodle activities for toddlers.

There are tons of creative ideas for pool noodles nowadays. They’re so affordable and easy to find in the summer, only $1 at the dollar store or in bulk online. When cut into smaller strips, the opportunities for their use become endless.

With one main tool, the pool noodle, we can have loads of fun with exciting and educational toddler activities. In this post, I’ve included a list of 50 pool noodle activities for toddlers.

50 Creative Pool Noodle Uses for Toddler Activities

* This post includes Affiliate Links.

How Does One Cut A Pool Noodle?

Whether you’re cutting them in half, into several slices of identical or varying sizes, into a spiral, or lenghtwise, cutting them is fairly easy.

A kitchen knife or utility knife will do the trick. Just watch those precious fingers!

50 Easy and Creative Pool Noodle Activities for Toddlers

Here are 50+ ideas for pool noodle activities for toddlers broken down into categories.

  • Fine Motor Activities with Pool Noodles
  • Pool Noodle Sensory Activities
  • Educational Activities with Pool Noodles
  • Crafts with Pool Noodles
  • Large-Scale Uses

Of this list, the majority of these activity ideas require the pool noodles to be cut into slices, some cut across lengthwise, and some used halved or whole.

You may also need additional things for these activities such as string, tape, pom poms, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, pegs, a sharpie, plastic bin, sand, water, marble, or toy cars.

Pool Noodle Toddler Activities

Fine Motor Activities with Pool Noodles

  1. Necklace threading
  2. Tweezers and pom poms
  3. Poking objects through with pipe cleaners or popsicle sticks
  4. Hammer practice with golf tees as pegs and mallets
  5. Stacking blocks for tower building
  6. Detail structure building with toothpicks

Pool Noodle Sensory Activities

  1. Sensory bin with sand, rocks, and pebbles
  2. Water sensory bin
  3. Bath or water table toys
  4. Sailboats (with straws and foam sheet sails)
  5. Water tunnel/water wall
  6. Sound exploration tube
50 Creative Pool Noodle Uses for Toddler Activities

Educational Activities with Pool Noodles

  1. Color sorting
  2. Letters or numbers recognition
  3. Letter or number matching
  4. Spelling and name recognition activities
  5. Alphabetical order and counting
  6. Addition and subtraction stacking
  7. Geometric shape building
  8. Physics experiment – connected to strings for weights and balance

Crafts with Pool Noodles

  1. Lightsaber
  2. Flower garden
  3. Monster sculpture
  4. Animal creatures
  5. Stamp
  6. Wreath base
  7. Pom pom shooter
  8. Water blaster
  9. Catapult
  10. Telescope
  11. Building cities
  12. Small or large raft
  13. Racquet
  14. Abacus
  15. Garland
  16. Rocket

Large-Scale Uses

  1. Large-scale street/lane obstacle
  2. Marble run
  3. Race track for toy cars
  4. Swimming
  5. Bat/hockey stick
  6. Goal structure
  7. Croquet hoops
  8. Sprinkler
  9. Car wash structure
  10. Hurdle obstacle course
  11. Rings obstacle course
  12. Weave obstacle course
  13. Ring toss
  14. Ring target
  15. Bed bumper

Which One is Your Favorite?

50 Easy and Creative Pool Noodle Activities for Toddlers You Need to Try

Like this Post?
Share It! Pin it!

Free Resource Library

Get access to download all my freebies all at once.

Free Resource Library Banner




Subscribe
Notify of
guest

10 Comments
oldest
newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Safi
June 17, 2019 10:14 am

Wow who knew there were so many uses for a pool noodle! Thanks for sharing 🙂

Tash
June 17, 2019 1:02 pm

Oh wow I am SO trying some of these now that winter is here and we have no use for our pool noodles right now 😂

Han
Han
June 17, 2019 2:29 pm

Didn’t realise there were so many uses. Can’t wait to try some with my little o e.

Monica
Monica
June 17, 2019 6:03 pm

Love the sensory play ideas!

Mama Writes Reviews
June 17, 2019 10:25 pm

These are great! We’ve done a few of these before… I still have little noodle slices all over the house, but the kids LOVE putting them in the pool!