Last Thursday, I kicked off a multi-week series of golf-related activities to put my dust-covered golf bag and all its contents to good use. I launched the series with a Backyard Golf Ball Hunt last week, and promised a post to Create a Creature with Golf Tees for today… but the weather was just so beautiful, I had to postpone that for next week. Instead, we played outside in the backyard without any coats for the first time in literally months! But don’t worry, we put some golf tees and practice balls to good use too with this Golf Tee Challenge.
Golf Tee Challenge
This activity requires very few materials, most of which you likely already have in your garage. In addition to the golf tees, you will need something to push the tees into, and objects to balance on top of the tees. I have outlined what we specifically used below, but also outlined some potential substitutes as well.
Supplies:
Golf tees
1′ section of pool noodle, cut in half
Toy hammer
Practice balls
Vase fillers (gem-colored with flat bottoms)Other options:
Styrofoam or directly into grass in lieu of noodle
Marbles, golf balls, ping pong balls, rocks, etc.Cost: Free – Less than $5
Prep Time: Less than 5 minutes
Clean-Up Time: Less than 5 minutes
I cut off about a 1′ section of pool noodle and then cut it in half, creating two bases for the girls to hammer the tees into. You can easily cut the pool noodle with a serrated bread knife. I bought the noodle last summer at the Dollar Store, and we already used a piece of it to build our Tin Man last month, and still have about half of it left.
I brought out a toy hammer from one of the girls’ toys, and Big M used that to hammer her tees into the base. True to character, Lil’ M, too impatient to wait for the hammer, just shoved them in with brute force.
First, I gave them the range or practice balls to try balancing on the tees. It was a little windy out, so that added an additional challenge to their balancing act.
Next, to further challenge their fine motor skills, I gave them each a handful of gem-colored vase fillers. Monkey see, monkey do!
I just love the look of concentration on her face here… not bad for 20 months!
After about 20 minutes, the girls were chomping at the bit to just run and play in the sunshine. Lil’ M ran to every corner of the yard at least twice, and Big M finally opened her ‘Ariel bubbles’ that she’s been dying to use since we bought them at the drug store last week.
Fingers crossed, this was the first of many sunny Spring days to come! Join us next Thursday to see what creatures we will create with our golf tees!
9 comments
[…] Starting with our Backyard Golf Ball Hunt, to refining the girls’ fine motor skills with Golf Tee Challenge, and Big M’s favorite to date – Create a Creature with Golf Tees. On Monday, we were […]
[…] two weeks ago with a warm up for Easter – Backyard Golf Ball Hunt, continued last week with a Golf Tee Challenge, and this week, used golf tees to Create a Creature (or […]
What a different idea! I would never have thought of using golf as an activity – Thanks for linking with #ToddlerFunFriday
Thanks – it’s perfectly themed for this weekend’s Masters Tournament 🙂
I love the idea of golf tees in a pool noodle. SO many ways to use those pool noodles! I teach kindergarten now, but in my years with younger tots I know they would have loved this. hmm… how to tweak for a kindergarten class… Thanks for sharing! Kathleen
Kidpeople Classroom
I know – I wish I had known when I saw them at the Dollar Store last summer. I would have bought 10 more! Thanks for visiting!
P.S. Check back later this week – I’ve got another golf series post that will be perfect for kindergarteners!
I love how simple this activity is but all the great skills it uses: fine motor, hand-eye coordination plus you could add color matching and counting according to the age of child. Thanks for sharing on We Love Weekends!
It’s one for a busy box for sure, and can be used again and again. Great suggestions for additional skills too!