DIY Pom Pom Color Sorting Glove Game for Kids

A handful of bright pom poms turns a clear glove into a five color sorting game. Children press the plastic from the outside to guide each ball into the finger with the matching circle. The glove stays taped flat to the floor, keeping the play area in place while little fingers do the moving.

There are four pom poms in each of five colors, so children can match colors, count the balls and take turns. Start with one ball and let your child choose what to move next. The goal is to guide it along a clear finger channel with gentle pushes.

Before you begin: An adult prepares the activity and stays beside the child throughout play. Do not use it with children under 3 or any child who mouths objects. Follow any higher age restriction on your supplies. Small pom poms and thin plastic must stay away from the mouth and face.

Estimated adult preparation time: 15 to 20 minutes. Allow about 5 to 10 minutes for a first round of play, following your child's interest.

Step 1. Gather the Materials

• One new, clear polyethylene food glove with a loose fit and an open wrist cuff. Choose a powder free, latex free glove.
• Twenty small pom poms, about 1/2 inch (13 mm) across, four each in pink, green, blue, red, and yellow. Count them out from a mixed pack and leave the rest in the bowl for another day.
• Five pieces of glitter foam with an adhesive backing, in the same five colors, each large enough for one 2 3/8 inch (6 cm) circle. If your assorted pack has gold instead of yellow, gold works well for the yellow target.
• Clear packing tape about 1.88 inches (48 mm) wide.
• Adult scissors, a pencil, and a round lid about 2 3/8 inches (6 cm) across for tracing.
• A small bowl for the pom poms and a smooth, clean floor that can tolerate the adhesive and tape.

Check the fit before cutting the foam. With the cuff still open, an adult can guide a pom pom through each finger using light pressure from outside the glove. Check that the narrowest finger also has room for four balls without stretching a seam. If they bunch up or need force, choose a roomier glove. Guide the balls back out through the cuff so the glove is empty for the next step.

Choose foam shades that are easy to match to the balls, especially pink and red. An assorted pom pom pack may not contain equal numbers of every color, so check that you have four of each before starting.

Step 2. Cut Five Color Targets

Use the lid to trace a circle on each foam piece. Cut out one pink, one green, one blue, one red, and one yellow circle, keeping the edges smooth. Leave the paper backing attached until the circles are ready to stick. An adult should handle the cutting.

Step 3. Fill the Glove

Lay the glove with its wrist opening at the top and its fingers pointing down. Lift the upper layer at the cuff and drop the pom poms inside by hand. Gather them in the middle of the palm with the colors mixed. Keep all five finger channels empty throughout assembly.

Step 4. Attach the Matching Circles

Spread the empty glove fingers flat on the floor, with the thumb on your left. Work from right to left: yellow at the little finger, red at the ring finger, blue at the middle finger, green at the index finger, and pink at the thumb. The photo shows the final pink target being pressed into place.

Peel off each backing paper. Overlap the inner edge of the circle with the very end of the closed fingertip, then press the remaining adhesive directly onto the floor. Smooth the whole circle flat, leaving its glitter face uncovered and the clear finger channel open.

Step 5. Seal the Wrist Opening

Keep the mixed pom poms together in the center of the palm and gently flatten excess air toward the open cuff. Leave enough slack in the plastic for the balls to move. Fold the wrist edge over twice, then fold a strip of clear tape over that edge to close both layers across the full width. Smooth the tape and check for gaps.

Step 6. Tape the Glove to the Floor

Lay a second, longer strip of tape across the sealed cuff. Extend it about 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) beyond each side onto the floor and press both ends flat. Leave the palm and all five fingers free of tape.

Give the cuff a gentle tug to check that it stays in place. Before inviting your child to play, an adult should guide one ball into each finger and back to the palm. This checks that wrinkles and the attached circles leave the channels open. Return all 20 balls to the center, as shown in the next step. Stop if the cuff opens, a seam stretches or a target lifts.

Step 7. Start the Color Sorting Game

The game starts with the pom poms gathered in the middle and all five fingers empty. Invite your child to choose one ball, find the circle with the same color, and nudge the ball down that finger through the plastic. Hands stay outside the glove.

Begin with one ball at a time. Once the movement feels comfortable, name a color for your child to find or take turns moving one ball each. Count the balls as they reach each target. There is no need to race or finish every color in one sitting.

If a ball sticks, pause and let an adult smooth the film around it. If the same channel keeps catching, stop the game and remake it with a roomier glove. Do not force a ball against a seam. Between rounds in the same session, guide the balls back to the center through the plastic, mix the colors and leave the cuff closed.

For a separate project with an older child, try the DIY bead threading bug for kids. That guide is intended for children aged 6 and up, with its own adult preparation and safety steps.

Supply Pack Prices in USD

These are approximate U.S. online price examples checked on October 30, 2026, before tax and shipping. Prices can vary by seller, store and delivery location. Check the current price and color assortment before buying.

• Clear polyethylene gloves, 100 pack: $5.39
• Assorted 1/2 inch pom poms, 100 pack: $3.29
• Assorted glitter foam with an adhesive backing, 12 sheets: $8.58
• Clear packing tape, one 1.88 inch roll: $2.49

Total for the listed supply packs before tax and shipping: about $19.75.

This is the cost of buying the four full packs. One game uses one glove, 20 pom poms, five small foam circles and two strips of tape. The estimate assumes you already have scissors, a pencil, a tracing lid and a bowl.

Safety During Preparation and Play

• Small pom poms are a choking hazard. Keep this activity away from children under 3 and from any child who puts objects in their mouth. Follow any higher age restriction on the materials you choose, and keep younger siblings away during preparation and play.
• Thin plastic can pose choking and suffocation hazards. Keep the glove flat on the floor and away from the child's face and mouth. An adult must stay beside the child for the whole activity.
• An adult should cut the foam, seal the cuff, and attach the tape. Collect foam scraps and peeled backing papers before play.
• Check the glove seams, cuff seal, targets, and floor attachment before starting. Stop immediately if the film tears, a target loosens, or tape begins to lift.
• Test the foam adhesive and tape on an inconspicuous part of the floor first. Keep the game away from heat and sharp objects.
• The linked polyethylene glove is disposable and marked for single use. At the end of the play session, an adult should remove the tape and targets, open the cuff away from children, recover and count all 20 pom poms, and discard the glove. Store the loose supplies out of children's reach. Use a new glove for a later session.

For more on age labels and small parts, read the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's toy safety advice.