Finally, you can feel good about giving your kids lollipops! This adorable game turns an old pool noodle into a kid favorite: big lollipops!
Not only will the appearance of the lollipops be exciting and motivating for your child, but this game also develops fine motor strengthening and dexterity skills, along with math concepts such as patterning, sequencing, and number recognition. So, the next time your child asks for a lollipop, tell him that he can have 10!
What you will need…
1. 1 pool noodle
2. Playdoh ( note- 2 different colors of Playdoh if you want to work on patterning)
3. Lollipop sticks (as many as you want to make)
4. Knife or scissors to cut the pool noodle
5. Scrap pieces of paper (to add the numbers onto the lollipops
How to construct
1.Using a knife or scissors, have the adult cut 1 inch sections of the pool noodle
2.The child then can use the lollipop sticks to poke a hole into the foam noodle to attach the stick to the noodle
3. The child can roll playdoh into balls and then flatten to fit into the center circle of the noodle
4. Then, get creative with how you want your child to play and listed below are some ideas…..
Ways you can play:
- Improve Fine Motor Skills: Spread all the materials out and have your child assemble all the lollipops using their fine motor strength and dexterity skills
- Patterning Practice: Use 2 different colors of playdoh to fill in the insides of the lollipops and practice various types of patterns
- Sequencing Practice: Write numbers on small pieces of paper then press them into the Playdoh and sequence the lollipops in numerical order
- Number Recognition Practice: Press the circular numbers into the playdoh to work on number recognition
- Money Counting/Coin Recognition: Use the lollipops to teach addition and subtraction concepts perhaps by setting up a “store” where the child can buy and sell his lollipops
- Gross Motor Strengthening: Add core strengthening into this game by having the child play with the lollipops in various strength building positions such as laying their tummy (prone), tall kneeling, and standing
- Gross Motor Strengthening: Add movement into the game by having the lollipops spread out all over a room and the child has to seek and find all the lollipops by running, hopping, crawling, etc…
Benefits of this game:
- Fine motor strengthening and dexterity development
- Learning math concepts such as:
- Patterning
- Sequencing
- Numeral recognition
- Simple addition and subtraction
- Core strengthening (playing this game in various positions as mentioned above)
- Cardiovascular endurance (by adding motor movements as mentioned above)
Enjoy playing this lollipop game… your child’s brain will think they are “delicious”!