By LEE SCOTT
If there is one thing I have learned through the years as a mother and grandmother is that regardless of how many toys a child possesses, they will inevitably tell you they are bored.
But give them something simple and their imagination goes wild.
This is why I have found, that the best pool toy ever is a noodle.
Now you may not be familiar with noodles, but you have probably seen them at the grocery store or in front of one of those dollar stores. They are those spongy tubular pool toys that only weigh a few ounces.
Noodles allow you to float effortlessly in the pool with your arms draped over them. Most of them are about four feet long and only cost about $3, although you do have the option of spending a lot more money.
There are jumbo noodles and multi-colored noodles, but why bother; a child’s imagination can go wild with these things even with the simplest ones.
It is fascinating to watch a child play with a noodle, because in addition to the floatation aspect of the device, they will come up with so many more uses. Initially though, they will start with using it as a nice comfortable chair where they sit on the center of it and hold up the ends.
Or maybe they grab two noodles with one under the knees and the other under the neck and pretend they are in a bed. Be careful trying this yourself, or else you may find yourself falling asleep.
There are other creative uses like filling the middle of the noodle with water and blowing the water out the end which sprays everyone around you.
The noodles can also become weapons used for sword or lightsaber fighting (think Star Wars).
I was also told by my granddaughter, Marin, that you can smack your little sister on the head with the noodle and you do not get in too much trouble either. Kids also like to put the noodle between their legs and pretend they are riding a horse. Naturally, all the sounds coming from their mouths reflect the current use of the noodle.
This past week, I saw a father putting his daughter’s noodle over a water fountain and spraying her as she shrieked with giggles. Imagination is not limited to just children.
The list of things to do with these simple toys is amazing.
My spouse said it reminded him of Christmas when the most used “toy” was the box leftover from a large gift. Like boxes, the use of the noodles relies on the imagination of the owner.
So, do not bother spending a fortune on pool toys this year. Just go buy a couple of noodles and have some fun.
