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Before a little one is ready for a real paddle, a paper plate does the job beautifully. It is light, it is wide, it cannot hurt anyone, and it costs about ten cents. We use paper plates in class all the time. Here is how to make one into a paddle in two minutes, and five games to play with it tonight.
What you need
- Two sturdy paper plates (the thicker kind holds up better).
- A paint stir stick, a wooden spoon or a ruler for the handle.
- Masking tape or painter’s tape.
- Crayons or markers, if your little one wants to decorate it. Most do.
How to make it
- Decorate first. Let your child color the back of one plate. A face, a sun, scribbles, all perfect. This is the part they remember.
- Add the handle. Lay the stick across the inside of the plate so about five inches hangs off the edge. Tape it down with three or four strips.
- Seal it. Put the second plate face to face on top so the stick is sandwiched inside, and tape all the way around the rim. Now it is stiff enough to tap a balloon and soft enough that nobody minds getting bonked.
- Make two. One for your child and one for you. The second one takes a minute.
Five games to play with it
- Balloon Bop. Tap a balloon up with the paddle and count the bops out loud. Start with one. Celebrate one.
- Pancake Walk. Rest the balloon on the paddle like a pancake and walk it across the room without letting it slide off.
- Over the Mountain. Stack two pillows on the floor. Your child taps the balloon over the mountain to you, and you tap it back.
- Freeze Statue. Dance around with the paddle, then freeze when the music stops. Try freezing with the paddle up high, down low, out to the side.
- Balloon Rally. Sit facing each other and tap the balloon back and forth. Count every hit. Three in a row is a rally, and a rally gets a cheer.
Why a paper plate works so well
A toddler’s hands and eyes are still learning to work together. A real paddle is heavy, has a small face, and makes the ball go fast. A paper plate is the opposite: big face, no weight, and a balloon that floats slowly enough to actually hit. Success on the first try is what makes a child want to try again, and trying again is the whole game at this age.
When the paper plate starts to feel easy, that is the moment to look at a real first paddle. Until then, make a new plate every time one gets squashed. That is part of the fun too.
Want more? All five games above, plus five more, a 30-day calendar and a star chart, are in Racky’s Play Pack ($9.99, print at home). Or start free with Racky’s 10-day First Swing Challenge, one short game a day by email.
