While especially great for tots, ALL of my kids LOVE using the Puff Ball Magnets. Also know as magnetic pom poms, they are great to use for fine motor skills and as it turns out, they are very easy to make!
To make your own magnetic pom poms you will need:
1) Puff balls {aka pom poms}
2) Circle magnets (you can buy these at craft store or at Walmart)
3) Glue
Directions: Simply glue the magnets to the pompoms and dry overnight. If you are overzealous like me, you could use a glue gun to speed up the drying process! 🙂
There are TONS of ways that your tot can use magnetic puff balls. Count them, sort them, use them as manipulatives…the ideas are endless!
Aside from free-lance playing, there are also some great printables that you could use with the puff ball magnets! Check out the links below:
Letter Magnet Pages from COAH’s Letter of the Week Curriculum
Do-A-Dot Pages from Homeschool Creations
Alphabet Pages from Making Learning Fun
Number Pages from Making Learning Fun
Mosaic Pages from Making Learning Fun
Just print a page, place it on a cookie sheet (I found some at the Dollar Tree) and have fun!
The older kids like to use the our puff ball magnets too. We use them quite often to play Spelling BINGO!!
Like I said, tons of possibilities!
A big thank you to Erin at Home Grown Hearts for providing a wonderful tutorial on how to make your own magnetic pompoms!
REAL Snowflakes {How to Catch Your Own}
Mama Jenn
You are most welcome!!!
Ronda
Great Activity for many different ages!!! Thank you for such a great idea for some of my Early Childhood classrooms.
Mama Jenn
Thanks Heather! They get TONS of use around here!
Heather
These are so cool! We will definitely make some. We made some magnets as gifts for Christmas, but I never thought of using pompoms. That is very clear! I love the rainbow design 🙂
Mama Jenn
I am often surprised at the “unexpected” things that seem to hold my kids attention for hours at a time! Glad you found something to help your and his sanity! Flying with kids is not always that easy!!!
Kristina Noall
Hi Jenn, I just wanted to thank you for this great idea. My crazy little 2 1/2 year old has pretty much been asking to play with his magnets every day since I made these, and my husband and I can hardly believe how much time he’ll spend with them! They (along with a package of magnetic letters I got at the dollar store) kept his and my sanity when we took a flight a few weeks ago. Great, simple, inexpensive idea. Thank you again for sharing!
Emma
I love your ideas and how easy they are to put together. It is so wonderful to have an excellent resource to turn to for fresh ideas. Thank you for posting!
Mama Jenn
Cooperkelly4 ~ I have seen cookie sheets and the puff balls, but not the round magnets. I got mine from Walmart.
cooperkelly4
Well dollar tree, here I come! I think I have even seen the magnets and pompoms there too. love this!
Mama Jenn
Cooperkelly4~
The “silver tray” is actually a cookie sheet from the Dollar Tree!!! 😉 Surprise, surprise, they are magnetic!!
cooperkelly4
Love this idea. It would be great for a road trip too! Where did you get the cute little silver tray? It seems like a great size for your guy. Thanks, Kelly
Mama Jenn
Thank you so much Megan! You are so kind!!! 🙂
Megan
I just wanted to stop by here too. Your blogs and ideas are so inspiring to me. I’ve used many of your ideas with my 4 boys in our homeschooling. Love this pom pom magnet idea and it’s many uses. My boys will love this.
I just added your blog links to my blog at: http://houseofthe4risingsons.blogspot.com/ to share your ideas and wisdom.
Thanks,
Megan
http://houseofthe4risingsons.blogspot.com/
http://signing-for-life.blogspot.com/
Mama Jenn
Hi Heather! We did use hot glue…ALOT of it and we have had a few pull away. I just went back a re-glued them. In hindsight, perhaps I should have been more patient and used a liquid, slow drying glue with a better hold! 🙂
Heather
I love this idea and made some of my own last weekend. What kind of glue did you use? I used hot glue, but we’ve had some pull away from the magnet when lifted by the puff ball. Thanks for all your great ideas!!
Heather@Cultivated Lives
I was just staring at a bag of puff balls wondering what to do with them. I love the idea that it can be reusable!
Laura
I just picked up some pom-poms in the dollar section at Target. Yay!
Elle Belles Bows
Wonderful idea!! Kerri
Kristi@Creative Connections for Kids
So simple and versatile…and cheap too. Thanks Jenn!
Mama to 4
what a great idea – thank you for sharing – I am teaching my 3 year his ABC & these pom pom magnets would be perfect for the magnet pages found all over several blogs!
Thanks!
Nicole <><
Lindsay
I must get to walmart and get the magnets! I have everything else and I have wanted to do these for a while!
Ticia
Oh, I’m thinking for my spelling work, which I need to work on more with the kids.
Monica
Adorable idea! Thanks for sharing.
LaToya
That looks like fun, I’m going to have to get some for my boys
Katherine
I love that! We have a whole bucket full of puffballs, and now I will have something to do with them!
Clemencia
this is one of the awesome ideas, where you think: Now why didn’t I think of that!
Awesowe idea! thanks for sharing, love your blog 🙂
Scott
We’ve used this idea to make free form designs. But I like the other uses you gave, too. Thanks for the ideas.
Sara
It’s hilarious that you posted this today–it’s on my to-do list and the materials are sitting on my counter!
Jenny
These are cute, but my cats would steal them all! LOL!
Donovan Doins
Cute idea Jenn.
Andrea
What a fantastic idea! I will be sure to link back to you in March when we do our rainbow unit!
Thanks for posting:)
~Jada Roo
claudeabgood
This is such a cute idea, I would have never thought you could use magnetic pompoms for soooo many diverse activities.
My little one is only 16 months and I think he might try to eat those, but I think I’ll make some anyway…he should be ready to use them in a couple months, I hope.