Simple Things To Do With A Pool Noodle

Today is post 2 of our 4 part series, Simple Things You Can Do With… In last week’s post and video we talked about the therapy ball. You can watch the video here and read the post here. This week his week we are talking about pool noodles! Pool noodles are an incredibly versatile and useful tool. 

  • They are relatively inexpensive. I get mine at the Dollar Tree, but they can also be ordered online. 
  • They can be cut and shaped into lots of different sizes using a serrated knife.
  • They usually come in a wide assortment of bright colors making them fun and easy to see. 

Now that we have the basics let’s dive into those ideas:

1. Pool Noodle Sword Fight: If you guys have watched my videos before you know that the Pool Noodle Sword Fight is one of my favorites. This activity works on so many things like eye hand coordination, balance, crossing that magical midline, and especially core strength. The greatest thing about this activity is that it can be adjusted to all ability levels.

    • If your child has limited standing balance or is not able to stand or walk they can do this activity in kneeling, sitting in a chair, on the floor, or in their adapted devices such as a stander or wheelchair. 
    • If you have difficulty holding the pool noodle, you can use a sock or wrap to help secure the child’s hand to the noodle. Just be sure the wrap is not so tight that it impacts circulation. 
    • You can do this activity with a full pool noodle or cut one down to an appropriate length. You can also add some duct tape to one end to act as a handle. 

2. Tug of War: Next on my list is Tug of War. Like the pool noodle sword fight, tug of war is one of those activities that can be used to work on lots of different skills. It’s great for strengthening: When played in the sitting position, it strengthens the arms, chest, and core. If you play in standing it also works your hips and legs. Tug of war is also a great way to work on balance. As your partner pulls the noodle you move in and out of your base of support and you have to work really hard not to fall. Tug of War is also easily adaptable to multiple ability levels. Like the sword fight you play in standing, kneeling, sitting, or in an adaptive device. 

3. Ballon Bounce: The Balloon Bounce uses a shortened pool noodle and a balloon. The object is to bounce the balloon on the noodle being sure it doesn’t drop to the floor. As you can imagine, the balloon bounce is a great activity to work on eye hand coordination and visual tracking. I recommend you start this activity by bouncing the balloon on your own.  Once your skills progress try playing with a partner. As with the other activities the balloon bounce is easily adaptable and can be played in standing, kneeling, or sitting. 

4. Obstacle Course: Using pool noodle pieces in all different shapes and sizes is a great way to create an obstacle course. I like to use pool noodle pieces as obstacles for kids to step over, jump over, and even walk on. You can create straight segments and even circles by taping the ends together with duct tape. Pool noodles are great for obstacles courses because the bright colors are easy to see, helping with navigation. And, because you can cut them to any length you like, you can make the course completely custom. This activity is only limited by your imagination.

5. Grasp and ROM: Those are both pretty technical terms, so let me break them down for you.

  • The ability to grab onto something like a pencil or a cup requires strength within the muscles of your hand. Therapists call that motion grasping. To work on grasping with a pool noodle, Over time this can improve their strength and thereby their grasp. It’s kind of like a bicep curl for the hand.
  • Range of motion refers to the amount of movement in a joint. As therapists we want kids to be able to keep their joints mobile and build up enough strength to move their arms and legs through the full range of motion. If a child isn’t able to move through that full range on their own, a pool noodle can come in very handy. To work on both grasping and moving through the full range of motion, a pool noodle can come in very handy. The activity for both of these areas is the same. Have the child hold on or grasp the pool noodle. Then have their partner lift and move the noodle around. In order to keep their hand on the noodle, the child has to use the muscles in their hand to hold on. While the child is holding on to the noodle they can try to move the pool noodle on their own. Even if the child isn’t able to move the noodle on their own, that they can help with movement even if they can’t do all of it on their own. 

As a side note, I love to use pool noodles as a way to pad adaptive equipment. Whether I am trying to prevent a sharp edge from rubbing the skin or keep a walker from making scuff marks on the wall, pool noodles are there to save the day. Using a serrated knife you can cut and shape pool noodles to cover and pad most pieces of adaptive equipment. Add in some good old duct tape and you have instant padding. 

I hope you found some helpful ideas for activities to do with pool noodles. Try some of them out and let me know what you think. Do you have other ideas? Please share them in the comments. 

I hope you have a great week!

-Heather

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