30+ Cool Games & Crafts Using Pool Noodles
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30+ Cool Games & Crafts Using Pool Noodles
Pool noodles are one of the cheapest and most useful craft supplies you can keep around the house. They are soft, colourful, easy to cut, and perfect for kids’ games, summer crafts, party activities, classroom ideas, garden games, and seasonal decorations.
The best part is that you do not need expensive supplies. A few pool noodles, some tape, scissors, paint, string, paper, and glue can turn into hours of fun.
Below are 30+ cool games and crafts using pool noodles. Each idea includes a simple how-to guide and an Instagram embed link you can use as the image example in your article.
Note: Always check the Instagram link before publishing, as posts can sometimes be deleted, made private, or stop embedding.
1. Pool Noodle Launcher
A pool noodle launcher is a fun backyard activity that kids can use to shoot soft pom poms or foam balls at targets.
How to make it:
Cut a pool noodle into a short tube, about 5 to 6 inches long. Stretch a balloon over one end and tape it tightly around the noodle. Drop a pom pom or soft foam ball inside the open end, pull the balloon back, and let go. Set up cups, buckets, or paper targets and let kids see who can score the most points.
2. Pom Pom Pool Noodle Shooter
This is a colourful version of the pool noodle launcher and works brilliantly with small pom poms.
How to make it:
Cut a short piece of pool noodle. Tie the end of a balloon in a knot, then cut off the rounded tip. Stretch the balloon over one end of the noodle and secure it with strong tape. Place a pom pom inside, pull the balloon knot back, and release. Use coloured paper plates or bowls as targets.
3. Pool Noodle Flower Stamps
Pool noodle slices make brilliant flower stamps for toddlers and younger children.
How to make it:
Cut a pool noodle into round slices about 1 inch thick. Dip one flat side into paint and press it onto paper to make flower shapes. Children can use green markers or paint to add stems and leaves. Use different noodle colours or paint colours to make a whole garden picture.
4. Pool Noodle Donuts
These pretend donuts are bright, fun, and perfect for play kitchens, party crafts, or summer activities.
How to make it:
Cut the pool noodle into thick rings. Paint the tops with brown, pink, white, or chocolate-coloured paint to look like icing. Add “sprinkles” using small pieces of paper, beads, foam shapes, or coloured rice. Let them dry fully before using them for pretend play.
5. Pool Noodle Counting Game
This is a simple learning game that helps children practise counting, colours, and number matching.
How to make it:
Cut pool noodles into rings. Write numbers on cards or paper plates. Ask children to stack the correct number of pool noodle rings onto each card. You can also sort them by colour, make simple addition sums, or create number towers.
6. Pool Noodle Summer Float Stamps
This craft uses pool noodle slices to make little pool floats on paper.
How to make it:
Cut the noodle into thin rings. Dip the ring into bright paint and stamp it onto blue paper to look like floating rings in water. Kids can draw tiny swimmers, beach balls, sunshine, waves, and sunglasses around the stamped floats.
7. Pool Noodle Threading Activity
This is a great fine motor activity for younger children.
How to make it:
Cut pool noodles into chunky pieces. Use string, ribbon, shoelaces, or thick yarn and let children thread the noodle pieces onto it. You can turn it into a colour pattern game by asking them to make red-blue-red-blue patterns or count how many pieces they add.
8. Pool Noodle Floral Arrangement Holder
Pool noodles can be used as a cheap flower holder inside baskets, vases, or containers.
How to make it:
Cut pieces of pool noodle to fit inside your container. Place them snugly inside so they do not move around. Push faux flower stems into the foam holes or directly into the noodle. Arrange the flowers until the display looks full. This works well for seasonal decor, porch baskets, or table centrepieces.
9. Pool Noodle Lizard Craft
This is a cute animal craft using short pieces of pool noodle as the body.
How to make it:
Cut a pool noodle into short sections. Glue on googly eyes, paper legs, a pipe cleaner tongue, and a long paper or felt tail. Children can decorate the body with dots, stripes, or scales using markers or stickers. Use green noodles for lizards, or bright colours for silly imaginary reptiles.
10. Pool Noodle Sea Urchin
This ocean-themed craft is simple, colourful, and great for under-the-sea activities.
How to make it:
Cut a small chunk of pool noodle. Push pipe cleaners, short straws, or craft sticks into the sides to make spines. Add googly eyes if you want to make it silly. Use blue paper, shells, and seaweed shapes to create an ocean scene around it.
11. DIY Pool Noodle Fishing Game
This is a fun homemade fishing game for the garden, paddling pool, or water table.
How to make it:
Cut pool noodles into small fish shapes or chunky rings. Add a paperclip to each fish. Make a fishing rod using a stick, string, and a small magnet tied to the end. Children can “catch” the fish by touching the magnet to the paperclip. For younger children, skip magnets and use a scoop net instead.
12. Pool Noodle Pizza Craft
This is a fun pretend food craft for kids who enjoy play kitchens and messy activities.
How to make it:
Cut a pool noodle into round slices to make mini pizza bases. Paint or cover the top with red paper for sauce. Add yellow paper or yarn for cheese, then small foam pieces, paper circles, or buttons for toppings. Children can make different pizza combinations and pretend to run a pizza shop.
13. Pool Noodle Marble Run
A pool noodle marble run is a great STEM activity that teaches children about ramps, speed, and angles.
How to make it:
Carefully cut a pool noodle in half lengthways to make two long channels. Prop one end up on a chair, box, or step. Let children roll marbles, small balls, or toy cars down the track. Try changing the height and angle to see what makes the marble go faster or slower.
14. Pool Noodle STEM Build Challenge
Pool noodles can be turned into a simple building challenge for kids.
How to make it:
Cut pool noodles into different lengths and shapes. Give children toothpicks, straws, craft sticks, or skewers with supervision. Challenge them to build the tallest tower, the strongest bridge, or a shape that can stand on its own. This is brilliant for problem solving and creative thinking.
15. Pool Noodle Sailing Boats
These little boats actually float and are perfect for summer water play.
How to make it:
Cut a pool noodle into thick slices or short boat-shaped pieces. Push a straw into the top for the mast. Cut a triangle from paper or craft foam and tape it to the straw as the sail. Place the boat in a water table, bath, or paddling pool and let children race them by blowing on the sails.
16. Pool Noodle Towers
This is a simple stacking and building game for indoors or outside.
How to make it:
Cut pool noodles into rings or short blocks. Let children stack them as high as they can before the tower falls. To make it harder, ask them to build using only one hand, follow a colour pattern, or race against a timer. Older children can use toothpicks or craft sticks to connect pieces together.
17. Pool Noodle Racetrack
A pool noodle racetrack is a cheap and easy toy car activity.
How to make it:
Cut a pool noodle in half lengthways to create two long tracks. Lay them side by side on the stairs, a garden slope, or a box propped up at one end. Use toy cars, marbles, or small balls and let kids race them to the bottom. Add a finish line with tape or chalk.
18. Pool Noodle Donut Shop
This is a pretend-play version of the pool noodle donut craft.
How to make it:
Cut pool noodles into donut rings. Let children decorate them with paint, foam icing, paper sprinkles, or markers. Once dry, set them up on a tray or cardboard stand. Add paper money, order cards, and a little sign to create a pretend donut shop.
19. Pool Noodle Ring Toss
This is one of the easiest outdoor games to make with pool noodles.
How to make it:
Bend pool noodles into circles and tape the ends together to make rings. Set up cones, bottles, garden stakes, or upright pool noodles as targets. Children take turns tossing the rings and trying to land them over the targets. Use different distances for different age groups.
20. Pool Noodle Ball Obstacle Course
This is a great garden game for kids who need to burn off energy.
How to make it:
Bend pool noodles into arches and push the ends into the grass using garden stakes or secure them with heavy objects. Create a course where children have to kick, roll, or push a ball through each arch. Add cones, chalk lines, or buckets to make the course longer.
21. Pool Noodle Hurdles
Pool noodle hurdles are soft, safe, and great for outdoor races.
How to make it:
Bend pool noodles into low arches and secure the ends in the ground with stakes, sticks, or heavy buckets. Children can jump over them, crawl under them, or weave between them. Set up several hurdles in a row to make a mini sports day course.
22. Pool Noodle Sword Fight
Pool noodle swords are a classic active game, but they should always be used gently.
How to make it:
Cut pool noodles in half to make soft swords. Wrap one end with tape to create a handle. Set clear rules before playing, such as no hitting faces, no hard swinging, and stop when someone says stop. You can also add glow sticks or reflective tape for a fun evening version.
23. Pool Noodle Bugs
These little bugs are colourful, funny, and easy for children to personalise.
How to make it:
Cut a pool noodle into small pieces for the bug bodies. Add pipe cleaner legs, googly eyes, paper wings, and antennae. Children can make bees, caterpillars, beetles, butterflies, or made-up bugs. Use markers, stickers, or paint to add spots and stripes.
24. Pool Noodle Sail Boats
This is another simple version of the floating boat craft.
How to make it:
Cut a pool noodle into short sections. Insert a straw or wooden skewer into the middle. Cut a sail from paper, foam, or plastic packaging and attach it to the mast with tape. Decorate the boat with stickers or waterproof markers, then float it in water.
25. Pom Pom Launcher With Colour Targets
This activity turns the pool noodle launcher into a colour-matching game.
How to make it:
Make a pool noodle launcher using a short noodle piece and a balloon. Place coloured paper, bowls, or cups on the floor as targets. Give children pom poms in matching colours and ask them to launch each pom pom toward the correct target. You can also add numbers for a scoring game.
26. Pool Noodle Wreath
A pool noodle wreath is a cheap way to make a large decorative wreath base.
How to make it:
Bend a pool noodle into a circle and tape the ends together with strong tape. Wrap the entire noodle with ribbon, fabric, burlap, or garland until the foam is covered. Add faux flowers, greenery, bows, ornaments, or seasonal decorations with hot glue or floral wire.
27. Bunny Pool Noodle Wreath
This is a sweet spring or Easter decoration made from pool noodles.
How to make it:
Make one large pool noodle circle for the bunny’s face and two smaller oval shapes for the ears. Tape everything together securely. Cover the foam with ribbon, fabric, or faux greenery. Add flowers, a bow, and pastel decorations to finish the bunny wreath.
28. Giant Pool Noodle Pumpkin
This is a bigger seasonal craft that makes a fun autumn or Halloween decoration.
How to make it:
Cut pool noodles into long curved pieces and arrange them around a centre point to create a pumpkin shape. Secure the pieces with tape, glue, or wire. Paint them orange or cover them with orange fabric. Add a stem using cardboard, a stick, or rolled brown paper, then add faux leaves or vines.
29. Pool Noodle Christmas Garland
Pool noodles can be used as a hidden base for full, chunky Christmas garlands.
How to make it:
Place a pool noodle along a mantel, banister, shelf, or doorway. Secure it with zip ties, tape, or string. Push faux greenery, baubles, ribbon, pinecones, and lights into or around the noodle until it is hidden. This makes the garland look much fuller without needing lots of expensive greenery.
30. Pool Noodle Ornament Wreath
This is a budget Christmas wreath using a pool noodle as the base.
How to make it:
Bend a pool noodle into a circle and tape the ends together. Wrap it in ribbon or garland to hide the foam. Use hot glue to attach plastic baubles all around the wreath. Fill gaps with smaller ornaments, bows, pinecones, or tinsel. Hang it with ribbon once everything is secure.
31. Pool Noodle Popsicle Garland
This is a bright summer party decoration made from pieces of pool noodle.
How to make it:
Cut pool noodles into short popsicle-sized pieces. Add a craft stick to the bottom of each piece to make it look like a popsicle. Decorate them with paint, paper stripes, glitter, or stickers. Thread them onto string or attach them to ribbon to make a fun summer garland.
32. Giant Pool Noodle Pencils
These oversized pencils are great for back-to-school decorations or classroom displays.
How to make it:
Use a yellow pool noodle as the pencil body, or paint one yellow. Add pink foam or paper to one end for the eraser. Use beige and black paper or foam on the other end to make the pencil tip. Add black lines or silver tape near the eraser to make it look more realistic.
33. Pool Noodle Mantel Garland
A pool noodle makes a great hidden base for a full-looking mantel display.
How to make it:
Cut a pool noodle to the length of your mantel or shelf. Secure it in place with tape, hooks, or zip ties. Push faux flowers, greenery, stems, ornaments, or seasonal picks into the foam. Keep adding decorations until the noodle is completely covered.
34. Pool Noodle Sculpture Station
This is an open-ended craft activity where children can build whatever they imagine.
How to make it:
Cut pool noodles into rings, chunks, and longer pieces. Put them on a table with cardboard tubes, pipe cleaners, straws, craft sticks, tape, and safe connectors. Let children build robots, towers, animals, rockets, castles, or abstract sculptures. This is a brilliant activity when you do not want every child’s craft to look the same.
35. Pool Noodle Love Monsters
These silly little monsters are perfect for Valentine’s Day or a rainy-day craft.
How to make it:
Cut pool noodles into short pieces for the monster bodies. Glue on googly eyes, paper arms, pipe cleaner hair, and heart shapes. Use markers to draw funny mouths and patterns. Children can make one-eyed monsters, fluffy monsters, heart monsters, or silly colourful creatures.
Safety Tips For Pool Noodle Crafts
Pool noodles are easy to cut, but adults should always do the cutting when sharp knives or craft blades are needed. For younger children, avoid tiny loose pieces that could be a choking risk.
If using hot glue, let an adult handle the glue gun. For toddler crafts, use washable paint, child-safe glue, large pieces, and simple activities like stamping, sorting, stacking, and threading.
Extra Tips To Make These Crafts Cheaper
Look for pool noodles at discount shops near the end of summer. Old, faded, bent, or slightly damaged noodles can still be used for many of these crafts. You can also save broken pool noodles from the shed or garden instead of throwing them away.
One pool noodle can often make several small crafts, especially if you are cutting it into rings, stamps, fish, bugs, donuts, or threading pieces.
Why Pool Noodles Are Great For Kids’ Activities
Pool noodles are soft, light, colourful, and easy to handle. They are ideal for younger children because they are not heavy or sharp, and they work just as well indoors as they do outside.
They can be used for active games, quiet crafts, party decorations, learning activities, pretend play, and seasonal decor. That makes them one of the most useful budget craft supplies you can keep at home.
Final Thoughts
Pool noodles might seem like simple swimming toys, but they can be turned into so many creative games and crafts. From marble runs and fishing games to donuts, wreaths, boats, bugs, and giant decorations, there is something here for every age and season.
So before you throw away an old pool noodle, cut it up and turn it into something fun. A cheap foam noodle can become a whole afternoon of games, crafts, and creative play