Easy Pom Pom Activities for Preschoolers

“Mom, want to play? Want to play with me?”

If you have an extroverted child who loves to engage with people, you may not find much time to get things done around the house. Or to simply BE.

In the process of helping my extroverted (only) child work on her independent play skills, we’ve begun to set up activities that have a little bit of structure, but easy enough for a preschooler to complete on her own.

This, I hope, is the bridge to more independent play skills.

So today we have a couple of easy DIY pom pom activities for preschoolers.

The bridge to independent play

Independent play is a skill that will serve a child well for a long time. Some kids have the knack for it, and others need more gentle prodding. The good news is that we can foster these skills at home from the time they are babies.

As you may know, I love open-ended toys because they decrease stereotyped play based on gender. Check out this post for more about the benefits of open-ended play for children.

So you may be thinking, Catherine, why would you create structured activities rather than let your child just play with pom poms and make her own choices?

Good question! The answer is easy. Because we all need to start somewhere.

If you are blessed with a child who can sit and play with blocks alone for an hour, bless you! I’m jealous. Despite my best efforts, my child isn’t naturally inclined to do that. She wants lots of interpersonal connection.

But I can’t play with her constantly. It’s exhausting!

So to help her get used to “being in the zone” or achieving the “flow state,” I set up occasional activities that she can do on her own, uninterrupted. Sometimes it’s a very simple invitation to play or invitation to create, like a water pouring sensory bin. Other times, I need to get some work done, and a slightly more structured activity my 3 year-old focus longer.

DIY Pom Pom Activities for Preschoolers and Toddlers

The best part? These activities mostly use materials you already have at home.

Also, if you get overwhelmed like I do by Pinterest articles that have 50 or more ways to use pom poms, you’re not alone. Keep it manageable by just trying these three invitations to play.

1. Rainbow Pom Pom Push

Material list: (affiliate links included)

• Egg carton (empty and clean)
• Colored pom poms
• Crayons/markers
• Razor blade / scissors
• Bowl or tupperware container

First, turn over a clean empty egg crate, use a marker or crayon to color the bottom a different color to match each of the pom poms. I started with markers, but didn’t have a pink or white marker, and discovered that crayons worked just as well.

Then use a razor blade (or scissors, if you don’t have one) to cut a little square in each. Stick your finger in and push back the crate edges a little to ensure there’s enough room.

Then pour the colorful pom poms into a bowl, tupperware container, or on a table.

The whole setup took about 5 minutes.

I didn’t need to tell my 3 year-old what to do. she was able to recognize the possibility of color-matching, and went for it. Some kids may not want to match the pom poms to the same color, and that’s okay! See what they do.

“Mom,” she said, “I use two thumbs to press them in!”

She struggled a little at first to fit the pom pom into the hole, but then got the hang of it. For younger kids, make sure the hole is wide.

This pom pom preschooler activity kept her attention for more than 20 minutes! A complete score for us. I set up my laptop nearby and would smile and nod encouragingly every once in a while. But she was so absorbed in it, that she didn’t need much as adult interaction as usual. Ahhhh yes, the flow state.

(Inspired by Learning at Heart.)

2. Pom Pom Cupcakes

This pom pom activity has a few more steps, and would likely work best with 3-5 year-olds. Two year-olds may need help to punch the paper.

Art Materials:

• Color pom poms
• Circle puncher (we own the Martha Stewart brand, which appears to be discontinued soon and is therefore $60 (what?!), but this one looks similar and much more affordable – under $10)
• Multi-colored scrap stock paper (You can use larger paper and cut it up; I like these because they are easy for small hands to control.)

Materials from the kitchen:

• Tongs
• Mini-muffin pan
• Bowl or tupperware container

First, pick out a few pieces of scrap paper that loosely match the colored pom poms. Then challenge your toddler or preschooler to use the circle puncher to punch holes in the scrap paper. My 3 year-old struggled at first, then was so proud when she pushed down with all of her might to achieve a circle punch.

Then she placed the circles into the mini-muffin pan.

Once each mini-muffin slot is filled with a circle, hand her the tongs. Watch those fine motor skills develop as she pinches each one from the bowl and drops it into the muffin tin.

I thought she’d put multiple pom poms into each mini-muffin slot, but she was satisfied after she placed one in each.

This 3-step pom pom activity is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers who love to sort and match. It requires a little more guidance than the first. But once they get the hang of it, you can put it away for a week, bring it out again, and your kiddo will pick right up on it again.

3. Pom Pom Free Flow

My favorite art is the kind that doesn’t have an end goal – process art – a term I’ve learned from our beloved Homegrown Studios.

For the days you want to encourage extra creativity, or you simply don’t have any energy, just lay out a few materials and see what your child creates.

I put pom pom balls, popsicle sticks, markers, and glue on the table. No instructions, no guidance. She and her grandmother made some creations together.

Have fun with those colorful pom poms, and be sure to report back on what other ways you use them!

For more ideas, grab our free guide: 20 Independent Play Activities: