The Pool Noodle Mini-Sprinkler Is The Cost-Cutting Hack You Need To Try This Summer

Pool noodles have become one of the most-used items for DIY projects, but did you know it's possible to turn it into a mini-sprinkler for your kids and pets? Yep, all it takes is DIYing your noodle with a few holes that spill water when connected to a garden hose, which is the simplest recipe for  an exciting daytime activity. It'll be something your kids will look forward to all summer long — just hold the noodle high above and have your little ones run underneath or connect the ends, and they can crawl through it.

The best part of this hack: It's affordable. You can buy a variety of pool noodles at Dollar Tree for $1.25 instead of a splash pad or sprinkler that costs more than $15. Not to mention, it will save you gas and other outing-related expenses if you were planning on visiting a splash pad park in your area.

So what exactly do you need to make this pool mini-sprinkler, and how much do the materials cost? Trust us, it's worth the small investment. 

The pool noodle mini-sprinkler is an easy DIY project that takes less than 15 minutes. To start you'll need a pool noodle, duct tape, skewer sticks, scissors, and zip ties. If you don't have these items in your house already, know that you won't have to spend a lot to obtain the materials: At Dollar Tree, each item runs for $1.25, so for five items you're looking at $5.25. To compare, outdoor sprinklers for kids start at $14.99 and only go up from there — every little penny counts, right? 

OK, back to the how of this project, which has been covered on many tutorials across social media and YouTube, including the above video from the channel "DIYNoodles". 1. Cut a small end of the pool noodle so that you have a little donut shape. 2. Snip one side of the donut to create a long, thin tube and insert it into the hole of the noodle (It'll work as a blockage to prevent water from spilling out.) 3. Duct tape the plugged hole where the tube is and add a zip tie around the duct tape to add extra security. You want to avoid re-taping the noodle, so ensure it's adequately taped. 4. Turn the noodle into a circle, overlapping the ends and zip-tying them together. 5. Poke multiple holes using your skewers on the inside of the noodle. 6. Take your pool noodle outside, put your garden hose inside the open end, and turn it on. Last but not least: Have fun. 

Don't want to shell out the cash for a garden sprinkler? Instead of shaping the noodle into a large donut and zip-tying it for a fun sprinkler effect, you can skip the zip-tie and have it lie open. Stick the hose inside the noodle until you're a little more than halfway inside, face it toward your garden, turn on the water, and watch the magic happen. Talk about an easy way to knock out watering your garden.

Comparing cost again, it's difficult to find a garden sprinkler for less than $10 — and checking out Amazon, it seems the $25 to $50 range is the most popular bracket. So why not opt for the $5.25 DIY version, especially if you have a small space? 

Of course, pool noodles can break down over time due to over-saturation and too much sun, so make sure to store your pool noodle sprinkler in a dark and dry space between uses for longevity.