Now that pool season is about over for us, we are finding fun ways to use our pool noodles indoors. Pool Noodle Spin & Spell is a fun game to practice learning to read as well as great for problem solving and building fine motor skills!
MATERIALS NEEDED FOR POOL NOODLE SPIN & SPELL (affiliate links):
- Pool noodles
- Tabletop paper roll dispenser (a hanger would work well too)
- Black permanent marker
- Index cards
- Stick or something to put the noodle pieces on (We used a paper roll dispenser.)
- Bread Knife
HOW TO SETUP AND PLAY POOL NOODLE SPIN & SPELL:
1. Have an adult cut up a pool noodle into 1 inch sections using a bread knife.
2. Write various lowercase letters on the pool noodles pieces that are common in sight words. We used two colors of pool noodles and put consonants on one and vowels on the other color.
3. Add the pool noodle pieces to the tabletop paper roll dispenser. If you don’t have a paper roll dispenser a hanger would work just as well. Just cut a slit in each pool noodle piece and add it to the hanger. It will still spin just fine.
4. Write simple spelling words on the index cards. We used 3 letter words in the CVC format as Oliver is just beginning to learn how to read.
5. Present an index card to the child and have them spin the noodle pieces around until each letter matches the index card.
6. Finally have the child sound out the word and say it aloud.
This activity was both challenging and fun for Oliver. He was so proud of himself when he was able to sound out the word!
VARIATIONS OF POOL NOODLE SPIN & SPELL:
There are so many fun variations that could be easily adapted using this same format!
1. Patten recognition – draw various shapes on the noodle pieces and have the child match shape patterns that you write on the index cards. Great for kids ages 3-6.
2. Small, Medium, Large – draw shapes of various sizes and have them put the shapes in order from smallest to largest. Perfect for kids ages 3-6.
3. Math Facts – write numbers and math symbols on the noodle pieces and have kids solve match facts. Make the math problem age appropriate or for younger kids have then put the numbers in counting order.
Looking for more reading activities? Check out our other early learning letter activities!
