DIY Pool Noodle Steady Beat Sabers
As I stood at the front of my first kindergarten class of the day, steady beat pool noodle sabers at the ready, I began to question my sanity. Would I really be able to get 20 five-to-six year old students to use this in the intended manner? Could I get them all to move their sabers to a steady beat instead of wildly fending off the bad guys from a galaxy far, far away? I took a deep breath, had everyone “push” the on button, made a few dramatic noises, cued The Imperial March, and away we went. Within just a few minutes, I had a huge smile on my face and thought, ” I LOVE MY JOB!”
I mean, I will be real. Not every student was using the pool noodles as intended. I had a few younglings who marched to the beat of their own drum by fending off galactic enemies most of the time… But for the most part, I called this activity a success! We waved our sabers up and down, side to side, and crossed the midline by making an “X” in the air. Students also paired up and tapped each other’s pool noodles to the steady beat. I only had one partnership end up across-the-class-dueling instead of being on task. (And I laughed on the inside before redirecting them.)
Creating the Sabers
I had left over pool noodles from my rhythm spinner project this summer. Pool noodles can typically be found at the dollar store during the summer. A local thrift store had a stack a I snatched up at the end of August, too! With one roll of silver duct tape and one roll of electrical tape, I was able to make 24 sabers.
Materials: Pool Noodles ( 1 noodles makes 2-3 sabers), measuring tool, sharp kitchen knife, duct tape*, electrical tape*
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you! All affiliate links will be marked with an *.
Measure out how long you want them to be. Mine were 17″ so I could get 3 pieces out of each pool noodle. Mark cut lines.
I found a large kitchen knife to be the best way to cut through a pool noodle without leaving yucky looking ends.
Cover the bottom with duct tape first. Then, wrap around the bottom once with duct tape to give it a finished look.
Decide how large you want the handle to be. I found that 2.5 tape widths seemed to “look right.”
Use black electrical tape to add detail. A strip around the top and bottom (bare minimum) gave them the best effect.
Be creative! Vertical lines really gave them a more “authentic” look.
I made sure each one had an on/off switch. I really played this up when I first handed them out!
You now have fun, yet unique steady beat pool noodle sabers for your music students! Enjoy!
May the Steady Beat be with you!
You May Also Enjoy…
