Hoop Around Your Arms
Make lightweight arm hoops from cardboard or pool noodles, decorate them, then practice passing and spinning them around your arms to build coordination.
Step-by-step guide to Hoop Around Your Arms
Step 1
Wrap a string or measuring tape around the widest part of the arm where you want the hoop to sit and mark the length.
Step 2
Use a marker and ruler to transfer that length onto your cardboard or mark the same length on the pool noodle and add a little extra for overlap.
Step 3
Carefully cut the cardboard strip or cut the pool noodle at the marked length to make a straight piece.
Step 4
Join the two ends together and tape or glue them securely to form a round hoop.
Step 5
Slide the hoop onto your arm to check it fits comfortably and make note if it needs to be tighter or looser.
Step 6
Decorate the hoop with markers stickers or other coloring materials to make it bright and fun.
Step 7
Let any glue or wet decorations dry fully before you start moving with the hoop.
Step 8
Place the hoop on your wrist and practice pushing it up to your elbow and back down slowly five times.
Step 9
Put the hoop on your forearm and practice flicking your wrist to spin the hoop around your arm five times.
Step 10
Try passing the hoop from one arm to the other by sliding it across your body slowly three times.
Step 11
Walk slowly in a small circle while keeping the hoop spinning on one arm for 30 seconds to practice balance and coordination.
Step 12
Share a photo or video of your finished hoop tricks on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can I use instead of a pool noodle or cardboard if I can't find them?
Use a rolled-up magazine, a strip of thin plastic tubing, or a foam craft sheet cut to the same length you measured with the string or measuring tape and transferred with a marker and ruler as a substitute for the cardboard or pool noodle.
My hoop keeps coming apart at the seam, how can I fix it?
Overlap the two ends an extra inch and secure them with strong duct tape or a bead of hot glue when you join the two ends together and tape or glue them securely to form a round hoop.
How can I adapt this activity for younger or older kids?
For toddlers use a softer pool noodle cut slightly larger than their arm and adult supervision during cutting, while older kids can increase difficulty by timing five pushes from wrist to elbow or attempting the 30-second walk-and-spin balance challenge.
How can we make the hoop more fun or showcase skills?
Decorate the hoop with glow-in-the-dark paint, sequins, or stickers during the decorate step, let any glue or wet decorations dry fully, add a lightweight bell for sound, and record a short trick video to share on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to Hoop Around Your Arms
Beginner Hula Hoop Tricks Vol. 1: Arm Hooping Tutorial
4 Videos
Beginner Hula Hoop Tricks Vol. 1: Arm Hooping Tutorial
Beginner Rhythmic Gymnastics Hoop Handling Technique
Hula Hoop Tutorial for Kids -Arms!
Hula Hoop Trick Tutorial - Kids Hooping: INFINITY
Facts about gross motor skills for kids
📦 Cardboard is lightweight, easy to cut and decorate, and recyclable, making it a perfect DIY hoop material.
🧠 Practicing passing and spinning improves proprioception — the body's sense of where limbs are without looking.
🏅 Rhythmic gymnastics uses a hoop apparatus where athletes spin, toss, and roll hoops with precise skill.
🤸 Spinning hoops around your arms helps build coordination, timing, and bilateral motor skills in kids.
🌀 The hula hoop craze exploded in the 1950s after a cheap plastic hoop was mass-produced and sold to millions.
How do you play Hoop Around Your Arms?
What materials do I need for Hoop Around Your Arms?
What ages is this activity suitable for?
What safety tips and variations should I consider?
One subscription, many ways to play and learn.
Only $6.99 after trial. No credit card required