5 Toddler Play Ideas With Pom Poms

Pom poms are such a great loose material to use with toddlers and preschoolers, presenting many simple opportunities for playful learning. Plus they are super cheap to buy from the dollar store! Here are five play ideas that we enjoy.

5 Simple Toddler Play Ideas with pom poms

1. Set up a Pretend Play Ice Cream Shop

Simple toddler play ideas: Pom pom pretend play

Add pom poms in a range of sizes and colours, a collection of bowls and pretend play cones, spoons and an ice cream scoop to create your very own ice cream store! Scooping up pom poms is great for developing fine motor skills, as is picking up pom poms with tongs. Add a child sized pair of plastic or metal tongs to develop muscle control and strength in the hands and fingers.

Simple toddler play ideas: Pom pom pretend play

2. Add pom poms to block play

Simple toddler play ideas: Pom poms as loose parts for block play

Pom poms make a fabulous addition to block play, encouraging children to naturally explore one-to-one correspondence – an important skill for learning to count meaningfully. You can find out more about the process of learning to count with toddlers in this post.

3. Pom Pom Colour Sorting

Toddler play ideas: Colour sorting with pom poms

Create a simple colour sorting tray from an egg carton. Just colour the bottom of each carton segment with a felt tipped marker or acrylic paint and then let your toddler have fun sorting your pom pom collection.

4. Pom Pom Drop

Toddler-Busy-Bag-Ideas: Pom-pom-drop

As Lauren shared in her 7 Toddler Busy Bags post, you’ll be amazed at how long a one year old can be entertained posting the pom poms down a tube over and over again!

5. Pom Pom & Peg Painting

Toddler play ideas: Pom pom peg painting

We have been having so much fun painting with pom poms! I attached a mini peg to each pom pom to act as a handle – just remind your toddler not to squeeze the top of the peg! A reminder to hold it around the middle part, near the spring, worked perfectly here 🙂 We use child friendly acrylic paints.

Simple toddler play ideas: Pom pom peg painting

What is your favourite way to play with pom poms?

Looking for more TODDLER PLAY IDEAS? Check out Learn With Play: 150+ Activities for Year Round Play & Learning. Available now in book and ebook forms.

Learn-with-Play book