Pool Noodle Games

 

 

Pool Noodles are fun, inexpensive and perfect for kids, tween and teen games!


Over 20 of the best Pool Noodle games are listed below.   Great for parties, get togethers, camp or anytime!


All games require Pool Noodles along with the objects under the title of the game in italics.    Some of the objects required are inexpensive household items such as marbles, empty gallon milk jugs and beach balls. 


Pick up Pool Noodles cheap for $1.00 a piece at the dollar store - stock up for lots of summer fun!

 

Beach Ball Hockey
Beach ball
Divide into teams and set up goals at opposite ends of the playing field.  Players use only their noodles to try to hit the ball into the other teams goal.  1 point for each score.   Play to 15 points. 

 

 

Beach Ball Relay
Beach balls
Divide into teams and line players up one after the other.   At the opposite end of the playing field set up a cone or chair as a turn around point.   One at a time players take 2 pool noodles and move the beach ball across the field, around the turn around point and back.  They then hand off the noodles and ball to the next player in line.  Winning team is the first one to have all their players complete the course. 
Variation:  Have players use only one pool noodle.

Beach Ball Relay with Obstacles
Beach balls, obstacles such as lawn chairs, sandboxes, slides, play tunnels
Played just like the Beach Ball Relay above, only more challenging.
Create an obstacle course that the players have to maneuver their beach ball through.  Over lawn chairs, through sandboxes, up slides, over benches, etc.  Play as a team or time single players with a stop watch and see who has the best time, or who has the most improved time after playing several times.

 

 

Balance Camp
Have players compete in several different training games!

Balance Beam - Players must walk the length of their pool noodle without falling off.   When everyone has the hang of balancing one foot in front of the other have players balance walking backwards and with their feet moving side to side!


Hand Balance - Players hold their pool noodle with one hand 1/3 of the way up and the other hand flat on the bottom of the noodle.  Balance the noodle on the palm of your hand, then toss and switch to balance on the other hand. 
1/2 Noodle Balance - Balance 1/2 a pool noodle on your palm and then toss it and catch it on the other end. 


360 Toss - After the players master that move place a piece of tape or a sticker on one end of the noodle and try to toss the noodle 360 degrees and catch it!   The tape or sticker will let you know if it has rotated 360 degrees.

Head Balance - Players try to balance the pool noodle lengthwise on their head.  Make it more fun by making it into a relay race where it has to stay on their head the whole time!
They can also try to balance the end on their head!
See who can balance it lengthwise on the edge of their hand, feet, toes, back, etc.    Can they balance it on their back while crawling?  On their head while dancing?  On the  top of their feet while walking in a relay race? 

Beach Ball Volley
Volleyball net or rope across the playing area, beach balls
Two players hold the opposite ends of 2 noodles.   They place a beach ball in the center and then toss it over the net where the opposite team must catch the beach ball with their noodles and toss it back over the net.  
Variation:  Play with water balloons for a cool splash game! 

Chopsticks
Balloons, laundry baskets
Players hold 2 pool noodles and try to pick up balloons and place them in a container. 
Blow up lots of balloons and have players try to pick them up using only their pool noodles and then place them in their container.  When all the balloons are picked up count each players balloons to determine the winner.

 

 

Circle Toss
Have players form a large circle with about 4 feet in between players.   Each player, on "go", tosses their pool noodle to the player on their right.   After tossing they immediately have to catch the pm that is being thrown to them from the other side.  After several practice rounds make the game harder by increasing the size of the circle and the distance between the players. 
Players can be eliminated if they drop a pn, or just play for fun!


Crazy Team Tag
2 colors of Pool Noodles - one color for each team, large outdoor space
Divide into teams.   On "go" teams try to tag each other by hitting the other teams players below the waist with their pool noodle.  If a player is tagged them must sit down right where they are tagged.   They can be untagged if a team member tags them with their noodle.  Play continues until one team has tagged all the other teams players.   Fast and crazy fun!


Frisbee Relay
Frisbees
Teams race relay style while balancing a Frisbee on top of a pool noodle.  Divide into teams and give each team 1 Frisbee and 1 pool noodle.   One at a time the team members have to balance the Frisbee on the top of the noodle while they run across the playing field, around a cone and then back to their team where they hand off the Frisbee to the next player in line.   The game continues until all players on the team have completed the course. 

Variation / Challenge:
After the first round players have to complete the course again only this time two players must balance the same Frisbee on the ends of both pool noodles the entire length of the course and back.  Then they hand off the Frisbee to the next 2 players in line. 
For a real challenge have 3 or 4 players complete the course while balancing the same Frisbee! 
If the Frisbee drops they have to start over at the start. 


Hoop Run
Tape pool noodles together end to end to make a circle.   Use another long pool noodle to roll the circle.  This takes some practice but is lots of fun!  Set up a relay style race or just let the kids free play and see how far they can get their circle to roll!


Javelin
Tape, string, tree branches or string across two tall structures
Tape the ends of 5 - 6 noodles together with tape to make circles.  Tie string to each circle and hang in different heights.   Players start from a mark about 8 feet from the rings and try to throw a whole pn through each ring.  Give more points for the more difficult targets.  
After everyone has a chance to throw from the first mark, back up the mark to 10, 12, 14 feet away or more to increase the difficulty!


Life Size Foosball
Choose teams and have players stand on the playing field like the pieces on a Foosball table.  Players from the same team face their goal.   Have all players hold on to a pool noodle to keep them in line and try to kick a play ball into the other teams goal.  Lots of fun for older kids, tweens and teens.


Marble Destruction
Marbles, sidewalk chalk or other tall objects that can be knocked over
Players roll marbles through the hole in the center of their pool noodle and try to knock down sidewalk chalk pieces that are standing on their ends.  Players must be at least 7 feet away from the chalk.   The first player to knock over their 5 pieces of chalk wins!
Tip:  Place a pool noodle behind the chalk to catch the marbles so they don't roll too far.


Marble Run Pool Noodle Game
Pool Noodles cut in half lengthwise, marbles, tape
Make marble runs with pool noodles that have been cut in half and taped end to end.  Run them down stairs or use tape to create bends and turns.  See how far the marbles will go, or set up two tracks side by side and have a marble race!


Noodle Charades
Before the game write out different ways a pool noodle could be used (examples below).  Players take turns picking a card and acting out the object on the card using pool noodles.  
Variation:  Have players come up with their own ideas and have other players guess!
Some ideas to act out:

Elephant
Glasses
Crutch
Wings
Antennas
Halo
Ears
Dandelion
Grass
Tornado
Pirate Peg Leg
Flag
Rainbow
Jousting
Knight
Spy Glass
Hair
Snake
Sword
Belt
Horse
Birthday Candles
Fingers
Letter of the Alphabet
Idea Bubble
Boat paddles
Pole Vault
Ski's
Ice Skate
LIghtning
Headphones


Pool Noodle End to End Water Relay
Large container of water, empty gallon milk jugs
The object of this fun game is to move water from the large water container to a milk jug using only the middle channel of the pool noodles.   Players must fill up the center of a pool noodle with water and then work together to place their noodles end to end to move water across the playing field into their teams container.  The first team to fill their jug to the top wins!


Ring Toss
Small swim rings
Divide into teams and give each player a pool noodle.  Have players stand in a line at least 10 feet from each other.   The first person in line tosses the ring to the next team mate and they have to catch the ring using only their noodle.  They then have to toss the swim ring to the next person in line and so on.  The last person in line tosses the ring back and so on until it reaches the front of the line again.   The first team with their ring back to the starting line wins!
For older kids make a rule that if the ring hits the ground it has to go all the way back to the start and that team begins again. 
Variation:  Instead of tossing the ring with their hands the players have to toss the ring using the end of the noodle.


Scoop Relay Pool Noodle Game
Large container of water, empty gallon milk jugs
Teams race to fill up their jug using 1 noodle.  Teams line up and the first player dips the pool noodle into a large container of water, bending it so that the water stays in the channel.  They then run across the playing field to their container and empty their water into the jug.  They then run back and hand off the pn to the next player in line.  The game continues until one teams jug is overflowing with water.  


Shaving Cream Challenge
Play balls, shaving cream, large tub of water
Players try to clean off shaving cream from a ball using only water poured through the hole of a pool noodle.
Set up the game area by placing a ball covered with shaving cream on the ground.  (Place pn's  on the ground behind the balls to keep them from moving too far away.)   Players stand behind a mark at least 7 feet away from the balloons. 
Play as teams or individually.  Players (or teams) get one pool noodle.  They dip the noodle into the tub of water and then use the water to try and clean off the shaving cream from the ball using only the water they have collected in the pool noodle center channel. 
Players have to hold on to the noodle at all times and can not cross the mark.  
Make the game more challenging for older kids, tweens and teens by making the mark 10 - 12 feet away from the balls. 


Sword Bubble Pool Noodle Game
Bubbles
Have kids practice their sword moves by popping bubbles!


Tri Team Relay
Beach balls
Divide into teams of 3 players.  Each player has a pool noodle.   Set up a course that the teams have to complete and then go back to the starting line.   On "go" teams have to lift their beach ball using all three players noodles and race through the relay course! 

More Outdoor Summer Fun:

Splash and Water Games

Squirt Gun Games

30 Sidewalk Chalk Games and Activities

50 Water Balloon Games

20 Beach Ball Games