Pompoms are standard tools in an early childhood classroom. While you can use them for art in lots of different ways, you can use them for other learning, too. Here are five ways to use pompoms (other than gluing them on paper).
1. Build those fine motor skills.
Working the small muscles of the hand is an important early childhood skill. Pinching and manipulating items helps build skills that will be used in writing (and other important life skills).
Use chopsticks to move pompoms - Or use tongs or clothespins or or tweezers or just index finger and thumb.
Transfer them into an ice cube tray. (Pre-K Pages)
Or scoop and pour them - for those younger or less developed muscles. (Buggy and Buddy)
2. Use air to move them.
You can do this with a squeeze bottle. (Mom Inspired Life)
Or blow them with a straw. (Lemon Lime Adventures)
3. Use them in water play.
Drop pompoms in your water bin. (Fantastic Fun and Learning)
Squeezing the water from the pompoms is great fine motor play, too!
4. Stick them on Velcro.
Stick a strip of Velcro to the wall or on a stand-up. Stick the pompoms on. (Teach Me Mommy)
Make patterns, count them, or just play with them on Velcro.
For older kids, create Velcro in shapes or letters or numbers. Stick on the pompoms!
5. Play number and counting games.
Roll the cube and fill numbered bags. (Pre-K Pages)
Or count them in a game. (Learning 4 Kids)
For lots more great ideas (including magnetic pompoms!), check out this post/video on Pre-K Pages.
How do you use pompoms in your classroom?
