DIY Soccer Camp Using Pool Noodles


DIY Soccer Camp Using Pool Noodles
DIY Soccer Camp Using Pool Noodles

The most versatile thing you can find in the dollar store is a pool noodle. No, really. There are countless clever ideas on how to use them floating around the internet and your family needs to get in on all the fun.

We all know that summer vacation for the kids often comes with heavy, audible sighs, and the frequent, “Mom, I’m bored”. So, whether you have a soccer star on your hands or not, this fun, soccer summer camp obstacle course will be sure to have your athlete entertained even if only for an afternoon.

Materials:

  • Pool Noodles
  • Duct Tape
  • Wire Hangers
  • A good imagination

 

How To:

If you’re anything like my family, your husband goes to the dry cleaners a lot. Well, for whatever reason, my husband keeps all of these hangers. Now, I’m certainly glad we had a stash of these wire hangers. Though they may not be the best thing to hang your clothes on, they really get the job done when it comes to this project.

To get started, you will need to prepare your wire hangers. The number of obstacles you wish to set up will determine how many pool noodles and hangers you will need.  What you’ll need to do is cut the top off of your hangers (the hook part). I realize now that wire cutters or something similar would have been really nice to have but there are ways around it. Instead, I bent my wire hanger back and forth until it broke apart. Sure, it takes significantly more effort, but you get the same result and a little work out.

cuthanger

Next, simply fold the cut hangers in half.

foldedhanger

Now, push the rounded end of your folded wire hanger into the end of the pool noodle. I bent the ends sticking out from the pool noodle so they would hold in the ground better.inserthanger

You’ve cut all the wire hangers and put them in the pool noodles. Finally, we are on to the fun part! Here are some obstacles you can easily set up.

The Arch

arch2

Place one wire hanger in each end of a single pool noodle. Next, put both ends into the ground. Now, your kids have an arch to kick the ball through! Set up several of these throughout your backyard for soccer croquet.

 

The Slalom Course

slalom

Take a few pool noodles and stand them up in a row. Your kids can weave through them with the soccer ball. Make this as long or as short as you like. Additionally, make sure you don’t use a noodle you had already bent (like I did) or it wont quite stand up straight.

 

Noodle Hoops

hoops2

Lastly, we have the pool noodle hoops! Here is where the duct tape comes in. Tape a pool noodle end to end to create a hoop. Now, tape several hoops together and attach to standing noodles.  This makes for a great target challenge for your kids. Ready, aim, score!