Entertaining your kids during the summertime can feel like a difficult task. But we’re here to show you that all it takes is some creativity and a stash of pool noodles. Gear up for the season with these super fun pool noodle games for kids during the summer.
Water Balloon Race
Racing and competing are fun elements of summertime games, especially for children. Fuel their excitement with a water balloon race. Essentially, kids make water balloons race down pool noodles taped together. The water balloons add an element of surprise, as there’s a chance the balloons can break while rolling down the noodles. This simple competition is easy to integrate with other waterplay activities like water balloon fights. However, it’s also fun on its own!
Obstacle Course
Customizable obstacle courses are excellent additions to backyards. Since pool noodles are lightweight, they’re easy to manipulate for the various courses. To build a pool noodle obstacle course, use tent stakes, pencils, and duct tape to secure the foam noodles. Our quick guide to building a pool noodle obstacle course outlines the different stations you can build. However, you can add more stations to your personalized course if you want. Feel free to enhance difficulty levels with extra features on the course.
Lightsabers
Perfect for the Star Wars fan and so easy to make, pool noodle lightsabers are summer must-have toys. Wrap duct tape on one end of the noodle and use a black marker to draw on the tape to recreate the design on light saber handles. Given that pool noodles are available in different colors, the foam acts as the light beam for the saber. Kids can battle each other with lightsabers or reenact their favorite scenes. With the right amount of creativity and imagination, kids can feel like Jedi!
Flip Challenge
You may already be familiar with the water bottle flip challenge. The game entails throwing a plastic bottle, partially full of liquid, into the air so that it rotates and hopefully lands upright on its base.
Now, apply this concept to pool noodles. Flipping a pool noodle and having it land in its original position is quite challenging. It must land on your hand to increase the difficulty level, and you can only use one hand to flip the noodle. Kids can compete in this game to see who successfully flips the noodle first. Kids can also see who flips the noodle the highest number of times. Either way, the challenge is exciting and fun.
Lawn Wickets
Backyard fun is the best, especially during the summer. Get the most out of your yard with lawn wickets made from foam pool noodles. Set up a row of wickets for kids’ relay races, target practice, soccer ball croquet, and much more.
For this backyard addition, hammer some wood dowels into the ground and slide pool noodles over the top of them to create a half-moon shape. The simple setup transforms a lawn into a play area for kids all summer long. Additionally, it’s easy to dissemble once summer is over!
Frisbee Knockout
Frisbee knockout is a fun pool noodle game for kids during the summer, especially for competitive kiddos. Give kids pool noodles with a frisbee on top of each. The kids then bump into each other, trying to knock their opponent’s frisbee off first. The goal is to make your opponent lose their balance before you do.
The challenging aspect of the game is that kids can’t get too aggressive because their frisbee could fall off before their opponents’. This entertaining activity can preoccupy children for a long time, especially the losing opponents. Everyone wants their turn to reign supreme!
Tic-Tac-Toe
What’s more classic than a game of tic-tac-toe? You can lay pool noodles over each other to create a giant tic-tac-toe board and use different-colored beanbags or sandbags as the Xs and Os. Consider this activity as a supersized version of the classic game.
Increase the difficulty level by requiring kids to toss the bag into the right square. Even if they don’t hit the intended square, they can’t move bags. Pool noodle tic-tac-toe is challenging, enjoyable, and this summer’s hottest game.
Frisbee Race
Can’t get enough of the frisbee action? We have another game for you! Balance frisbees on pool noodles and race to the finish line without dropping the frisbee. If the child drops the frisbee, they must return to the starting point and try again. Both pool noodles and frisbees are lightweight toys, and frisbees easily fall off the noodles. This increases the challenge of the game while still having it remain great for people of all ages. Plus, this game is great for family barbecues, kids’ parties, and field days because it doesn’t require any setup!
Painting Activity
Sometimes, you need to think outside the box when it comes to summer activities. Although pool noodles are great for waterplay, they can also make excellent paintbrushes. Children can use their favorite pool noodle as a giant paintbrush! This unique activity is a wonderful way to unlock creativity as kids use unconventional objects for making art.
Set a large canvas on the ground, and place different shades of paint on trays. Children should dip the ends of foam noodles in the paint and make art on the canvas. You can challenge kids to replicate specific things or designs, but this activity thrives on abstract concepts.
Noodle Ponies
Giddyap with noodle ponies! Challenge kids to create a toy pony with pool noodles and art supplies. Bend the noodle in a candy cane–like shape and secure the design with string. Then, kids can use plastic googly eyes and construction paper to create the face and mane of their pool noodle horses. After they finish their creations, children can compete in a pony race! Consider this game as the bringer of the Kentucky Derby to your home. You could also encourage kids to give their ponies unique names to add to the excitement.
Honorable Mentions
Although we explained the best activities, there are more than just 10 summertime games with pool noodles. Check out these honorable mentions:
- Abacus
- Target game
- Ball toss
- Racer boats
- Water wall
- Goal post
What To Do When the Fun Is Over
The best part about pool noodles is that they’re recyclable. When the fun is over, repurpose the foam noodles as corner guards, door stoppers, pipe installation, and much more! You can also simply store pool noodles away for next summer. The choice is up to you!
At Honor Trading Company, we offer various collections of foam pool noodles. Whether you need standard size or jumbo noodles, we have your back. Browse our product categories to explore all our options!
