Summer has arrived and with it, I have gained some more time to do what I like….CRAFT! I have been wanting to “play” with pool noodles and make something out of them for awhile now. So, I grabbed some form the Dollar store, grabbed my bread knife, and got to work! I decided to start by making a Spin-A-Word activity for kids to use to create words and/or to practice math facts. This would be great for beginning readers at home OR to use in a center at school.
So, how did I do it? First, I marked the pool noodles every 1.5 inches. Then, I cut them along those lines. This was MUCH easier than I thought it would be! The bread knife was definitely the best way to cut it. I tried a coping saw too, but the bread knife was much easier to hold on to and it made the cuts a little less rugged.
After that, it was time to figure out how I wanted to add the letters and numbers. I tried two different ways and I actually like both of them, for different reasons. I hand wrote some of them with a black Sharpie marker (lighter colors didn’t turn out so well) and I found some cute letter and number stickers in the Target Dollar Spot.
The next step was decide how to display them. I had a large dowel rod that I cut down to different sizes. The 1 foot worked perfectly for CVC words and the 2 foot piece worked really well for the math facts.
The great thing is that these could slide on to many different display options. I found other household places to display them as well. Like this magnetic curtain rod that I use to hold up my file chart.
Or, just ribbon strung through and hung on a door knob.
So, how would you like to WIN your very own Spin-A-Word activity set? One lucky winner will receive all his/her own set of pool noodle letters to use in his/her own classroom! Just enter the Rafflecopter** below.
And, for even more FUN ideas for pool noodles, be sure to check out my Pinterest board, especially for Pool Noodle uses!
**Note: Winner MUST live in the US. Pool noodle letters will be shipped, but not the “holder.”
Make sure you continue this Blog Hop and find some other WONDERFUL crafts that you can learn to make AND enter for a chance to win!
What a great idea! I love your pinterest board with pool noodle ideas. I had no idea there were so many things to do with them — and now’s a good time to stock up on them! Thanks for the giveaway!
~Melissa
Teacher Treasure Hunter
I love these! A few weeks ago, I bought a bunch of pool noodles at the store. I was planning on making an oversized rekenrek, but now I have more fun ideas to try!! Thanks for the bread knife tip. I had been using scissors and they did NOT work well.
Laura
Differentiation Station Creations
I was very hesitant to use my good bread knife because I figured it may get more dull or I would end up leaving it in the craft room. 🙂 I may have to invest in one just for crafts!
Great idea!
Very cute! I would love to use these in my classroom.
Love this!