Craft for Boys: How to Make Summer Sponge Balls

by Shell Rouch on July 20th, 2019 | No Comments »

Trying to keep my kids occupied during the summer is sometimes a challenge. Thanks to Pinterest, there's a ton of craft ideas available, but the crafts tend to lean heavily towards crafts for girls. My boys love to make things, too. But they tend to be happier making a craft they can do something with, rather than something that is more for decoration.

Hot summer days mean trying to keep cool AND busy. So we figured out a way to make easy Sponge Balls that can be used in place of water balloons.

How to Make Summer Sponge Balls

Supplies:

Sponges(2 per ball)
Plastic cable ties (1 per ball)
Scissors
Pen/marker(optional)

Directions:

Cut each sponge into four long strips. My oldest (seven years old) was able to eye this up and cut on his own, while I drew lines on the sponges for my youngest (four years old) to cut.

Use two sponges per ball. My oldest liked to try to mix up the different colors to create a pattern, while my youngest simply pieced the sponges back together.

Secure with a plastic cable tie, being sure the cable tie is centered. Cut off excess length. You can also use string, double knotted around the center, though cable ties will hold better and can be found at dollar stores (I found a set of 44 for $1).

Arrange pieces until your sponges resemble a ball. Repeat to make multiple sponge balls.

Fill up a bucket with water to prepare to play! I prefer a bigger plastic storage tub, as it's harder to knock over. Soak sponge balls in water and have some fun! They are soft enough that they won't hurt as your kids toss them around. They'll last a lot longer than water balloons, not to mention they are much easier and faster to make, with almost no clean up!

What are some other fun summer crafts that your boys enjoy?

Shell—known as @shellthings on Twitter—wrangles chaos and mayhem on a daily basis (otherwise known as raising three boys). When she’s not breaking up wrestling matches or ducking Legos, she spills her thoughts on her blog, Things I Can’t Say. Featuring the popular weekly link-up “Pour Your Heart Out” and a guest post series titled “Things They Can’t Say,” Shell’s blog is all about encouraging community and support among bloggers. In her free time (ha!), Shell is cofounder of Other Half Media, which takes on blogging and social media projects for bloggers and companies alike. She also team-teaches classes for bloggers on How to Rock Your Blog.