Beading for Kids

I'm blessed to be spending two weeks with my grandkids over the holidays.  I have six grandchildren ages 16, 15, 13, 4, 2 and 9 days old.  A mixed bunch!!  Needless to say, it's important to have some activities planned to keep them occupied.  This idea is simple and keeps the 4-year-old occupied for about an hour at a time, the 2-year-old for about 10-15 minutes. 




I picked up a package of brightly colored pipe cleaners and two tubs of assorted plastic beads at the Hobby Lobby nearby.  I spread a white bath towel on the table to keep the beads from rolling to the floor and dumped the tubs carefully onto the towel.

The pipe cleaners work well because they work for the varying sizes of drill holes in the beads, and they keep your little one's creations from sliding off. Since they're bendable, you can make bracelets, rings and necklaces that hold their shape too!

You can work in other activities like sorting and counting as well.  When you're finished, simply pull up the edges of the towel to make the beads pile up for easy pickup!

Of course, common sense cautions are a must.  Little ones must be supervised during the entire process to avoid eating the beads and stuffing them up their noses . . . but hey, you already knew that.  :)