Summertime is time for water fun. Our kids love any activity that involves water, whether it is just playing with a bucket of water or spraying the hose. But here at ZiggityZoom, we love creating fun ideas for you and your family… especially inexpensive fun ideas that don’t cost much to make. Our original pool noodle sprinkler has been a real hit over the past two summers on the internet and on pinterest. Now we have come up with another original, fun water activity that you can make in a snap for your kids.
As always, we try to find new ways to utilize those $1 pool noodles that we get from the Dollar Store. Our newest creation is a Water Swing that you can make using one pool noodle (regular or larger size), some rope and your trusty hose. It’s perfect for cooling down the kids on a hot summer day. But you will have to set time limits so everyone gets equal turns.
What You Need:
- Pool Noodle
- Rope
- Duct tape
- Hose
- Ice pick/ skewer
What to Do:
- Choose either a sturdy tree branch, capable of holding the weight of an adult, or utilize an existing swing set.
- Measure the length of rope you will need by figuring the actual length of sides and bottom of swing, plus a good 2 feet added to each end. The rope needs to be sturdy enough to hold weight.
- Using either a regular pool noodle or a fatter diameter noodle (which we used here), figure which way the noodle wants to bend and then poke holes, using a pick or skewer, in the inner half of the entire length of the noodle. (Make a mark so you know which side you poked the holes into. You want the spray of water to spray inward toward the child swinging, not the outer part of the noodle. The spray of water will have more force that way.
- String the rope into the noodle, so that the noodle is at the center of the rope. Tie the rope ends securely to the tree limb or top of the swingset bar. Make sure the seat is high enough to allow the children to use their legs to swing.
- Position the noodle so the holes are facing inward and then duct tape one end tightly to the rope, leaving no openings.
- Now, secure your hose to the tree branch or pole of swingset, leaving enough hose to hang down to the open end of your pool noodle and about 3 more inches to insert into the noodle. Shove the hose into the noodle and tape securely at points along the rope with duct tape. Also duct tape the hose at the opening of the pool noodle.
- Turn on the hose and now it’s time for some water fun!
By Sharon Pierce McCullough