Mini Pool Noodles

Earlier this summer, my Sister-In-Law found this cool idea for covering up the springs on a trampoline.  All you had to do was cut the pool noodles to the size of your springs, cut a slit down the middle and fit them over the springs.

This started a massive online search.  We now have pool noodle ring toss, pool noodle volleyball nets, and pool noddle javelin toss. 

When I started to cut the pool noddle activities for the learning bags, they just seemed to be so big.  In my little shoe box organization system, I could only fit one pool noodle activity per box.

Here is one example of doing this craft with actual pool noodles:

Pool Noodle Games

So, back to the dollar store I went.

One year for Christmas, I had made a Hockey Survival kit for my Sister-In-Law's family.  It included these mats that were actually meant for gardening knee pads.  They are rainbow, made of foam, and laceable.  Score!!!

 

This is perfect for making a much smaller version. 

 

I bought a mat, and got ready to cut.

 

 

I cut mine into 2" strips.

 

 

And once cut, you have to cut off the foam from the other colours (where they are glued together).

 

 

Then I had to cut them up.

 

 

Once finished, I can make alphabet strings, which my kids can make their names out of.  Or number strings.  Or pretty much anything else I can think of.  And it will still fit in a shoe box!