The summer seasonal aisle in department stores is really a treasure trove for people who spend their days with kids. You can only find certain items when they're "in season," making a container of sidewalk chalk feel like a Christmas present when you first see it at the beginning of the season. (I always stock up on those huge bottles of bubble solution that you can only seem to find in the summer. I mean, who doesn't love bubbles in November?) This year, an unexpected treasure has tickled my fancy: pool noodles! They are absolutely everywhere at this time of the year, and they can be used for so much more than whacking your brother in the head at the pool. Observe:
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| Pool noodle lacing beads |
Pool noodle lacing beads - a breeze to make and much easier for those little hands than traditional lacing beads. My dad actually helped me out with these. He simply took a box cutter (don't you find that to be such a magical tool?) and cut a couple noodles into sections. Clean up any little tatters and you're ready to lace away. I used a length of clothesline for my string and taped up the ends with duct tape to avoid fraying and to give L a sturdy jumping off point.
Of course, after you chop up three whole pool noodles, you're going to have a few sections left over. What to do with them? We threw a bunch in the bath tub (they are meant for water play, after all) and the rest went into our art tub to be used as stampers for ink pads or paint.
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| Use pool noodle segments for stamping with ink or paint |
I absolutely adore it when I can grab one inexpensive item at the grocery store and find multiple uses for it. L has been having a blast with these pool noodle pieces...and she didn't even have to whack anybody in the head!
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