Pom Pom Shooters: Guest post from Emma at P is for Preschooler!

I won’t be blogging for a bit after I broke my arm last week (ouch! — post to come to let you all know what happened– though I am still trying to do updates on my Facebook page).  

 

I am so happy to have a guest post from Emma at P is for Preschooler!  I hope you check out her blog — it is filled with wonderful hands-on learning activities for your little ones.  Thanks, so much Emma, for sharing this sweet and simple idea!  I know my son would love this!

 

Pom pom shooters rock. There, had to say it. This cool pool noodle version from Frogs and Snails… has been all over Pinterest, but I didn’t have a balloon and never remembered to pick one up so I pushed it to the back of my mind. (It’s a scary place back there!)

Then my grandmother gave me a basket with a bunch of, well, junk – er, treasures – and a few balloons were included. I instantly remembered the pom pom shooter and looked it up. Only problem – our pom poms were too big to fit inside the pool noodle. Darn. On to Plan B. I found another version with a plastic cup and that’s the one I went with. It was easy enough that I could do it (which is rare). All you do is:

• I cut off the bottoms of the cups,
• wrap and tape a cut balloon over the opening,
• give it some test shots.
• And then a few more. And, okay, I was hooked – I loved this thing!

When we were having one of those it’s-afternoon-and-there’s-nothing-to-do moments, I brought them out, one for each of us, for a pom pom fight. It took a few tries, but soon she was shooting those pom poms further than I was.  Only downside: not-so gentle preschooler hands soon broke the first cup, so I gave her mine and that one is still going strong. We’ll just have to make some more! I think next time I’ll try to find some sturdier cups. Or invest in the smaller pom poms and use the pool noodle version. Either way, this is a game we’ll be playing often, I’m sure, especially during those long winter days that are coming oh-too-soon.

Emma Craig is a SAHM to a 4-year-old daughter.  She blogs at P is for Preschooler about activities for toddlers and preschoolers and ideas for making life with them a little easier!  You can also get updates at her P is for Preschooler Facebook page!