Simply Done Simply Shared

Make Your Own

Find your source for tubing. There are many companies out there; I prefer to buy in bulk, HDPE tubing. 

Look around and compare prices, find what works for you; what's most important are the materials.  Hoopologie & Hoopsupplies are a start.

For mini hoop making, I purchase 100 feet of 1/2" tubing, plus 5 feet of 3/8 " tubing (connector).

Cut either 32 pieces of 1/2" tubing at 36" long, or cut 8 pieces each of 4 lengths: 26", 32", 38", 48".

The connector pieces may be 2-3 inches long.

I prefer using a hot car to uniformly heat up up the hoop part of the tubing; or a heating pad/blow dryer to heat up the ends, so they expand. The uniform heating of the tubing results in more circular circles. 

The connector tubing goes in cup of ice, a freezer, or cold pack; so that the pieces contract. 

(When I purchased 1/2" tubing from a hardware store, it didn't require soaking for the 3/8th" connector tubing to easily slide in. I super-glued the joints together so the hoops don't slide apart.) 

How long will it take? There's your science experiment with the kids!

Watch out for sharp edges where the tubing is cut; once taped over (duct tape--adds grip and weight), they will not be exposed.

More guidance with these free PDFs: Hoopment and Hoopmunication at Work.

Playing with hoops of varied sizes provides for a different type of muscular training, as each hoop size guides our bodies to move in different ways.  

Physics in action!

Also, playing with odd-sized hoops at the same time (vs one hoop)  is fun and guides us through different dynamics of motion, than practicing with equal-sized.