Headed off to the homecoming football game tonight? Throwing a big tailgating party? Or maybe little sister is whining about having to tag along to yet another of her big brother’s soccer games.
Whatever the game day occasion, this craft is the perfect prop for hours of cheering entertainment. We love activities for kids that are fun and easy to make – especially ones that don’t require any fancy materials from the craft store. Let’s get started…go team! :)
WHAT YOU’LL NEED: Scissors, crepe paper (one color or two different colors – up to you), heavy duty tape (masking, duct, electrical), string, a cookie sheet
WHAT TO DO:
Looking for great ways to practice cutting with scissors? You can’t beat this activity! LOTS of cutting involved! Let your child complete as many of the steps below as possible. If your child is too young to help with making the actual pompom, don’t count this activity out – simply whip up a couple of pompoms ahead of time and skip down to the section below called “How to Change it Up”. There are plenty of suggestions for ways to use the pompoms that even the youngest kids can try!
1. You’ll start by cutting down the middle of a LOOOONG length of crepe paper from each color (about 20 feet of each color).
2. You’ll end up with a giant pile of narrow streamers.
3. Next, you’ll wrap each of your streamers around a cookie sheet the long way. They can be messy, overlapping, and twisted. Doesn’t matter!
4. You’ll come out with a bunch of streamers that are in long loops, like this.
5. Next, you’ll take a piece of string and tie the pile right in the center. Cut the end of each loop so your pompom gets big and bushy on either side of the string.
6. Pull all of the streamers to one side and trim off any crazy, long pieces.
7. Now you’ll make the handle. Make a loop with the tape (sticky side out).
8. Wrap the sticky side of your loop with another piece of tape so all of the stickiness is covered up.
9. Tie the handle onto the pompom with the excess string.
HOW TO CHANGE IT UP:
-You’ve got this fancy new pompom, the only thing missing? Some cheers to go with it! Here are a few to get you started:
1 – Lean to the left! Lean to the Right! Stand up, sit down. Fight! Fight! Fight!
2 – Extra, extra! Read all about it! The Warriors are the best, there’s no doubt about it!
3 – Strawberry shortcake, huckleberry pie! V-I-C-T-O-R-Y! We’re gonna win the game and do you know why? ‘Cause we’ve got spirit! Now let’s hear it! V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!
-Try playing Simon Says with your child using the pompoms – shake them above your head, behind your back, under a leg, shake them fast, shake them slow, etc.
-Can your child toss one of the pompoms up into the air and catch it? Or try playing catch with a pompom!
-Check out our 6 Creative Movement Activities for Kids Using Streamers – a pompom could become a pony’s tail, or a couple of pompoms could act as a pair of butterfly wings!
SKILL AREAS ADDRESSED: Fine motor skills, bilateral coordination, visual motor integration, grasp, coordination, motor control, gross motor skills, proprioception
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Love this site, but please join modern times—whining little sister, Big brother s soccer—what are the underlying messages here about boys and girls roles? I know plenty of big sisters who spend hours on the soccer field, with little brothers who would love to play with these Pom Poms.
Oh my goodness Pat, I feel terrible that you read it this way! This wording was totally unintentional and definitely not meant to have any gender implications – could just as easily have been little brother whining about going the soccer game and wanting these pompoms to play with (I know there’s one little brother here at my house who fits this description)! We are more than aware of all of the little girls out there kicking butt on the field – in fact, Lauren herself was a college basketball player! As moms and aunties of little girls, and as former athletes, we would never intentionally put a negative message out there about gender roles! Thanks so much for reading and for taking the time to comment!