Yarn Wrapped Crafts for Children

This simple craft promotes development of fine motor skills, hand eye coordination, focus, and encourages children to finish tasks or activities. 

It also gives the child a sensory experience, just feeling the softness of yarn, which is 

therapeutic.

Just draw some shapes such as Easter eggs, spring shapes such as butterflies, flowers, bees, rabbits etc on the cardboard. You can choose any topics. At the button of this article watch the video. It shows step by step instructions on how to prepare, present this activity to the child.  

Materials you will are:

Cardboard

Yarn or ribbons

Pair of Scissors

Pencil to draw the shapes

Needle

Start by drawing shapes on the cardboard, if this activity is for a two years old child then make sure that you draw the shape large enough for the child to hold it when working with it.

Once you have drawn the desired shapes, cut little slits around the edge of the shapes. This will hold the yarn when wrapping it, especially around the curves. 

If you are drawing a large heart, draw a second heart in the large heart, leaving about two centimetres (or one inch) gap. I normally leave about two fingers gap.

Next cut the heart and then from the centre of the cardboard heart again cut around the
second heart. This will make a large hole for the child to use his/hers hands for wrapping the yarn.

Next cut the yarn or if using ribbons then cut only 70 centimetres (27 inches) long. Not
too long as it becomes too difficult and confusing for the young child to wrap.

Once you have cut the shapes, the yarn and ribbons, have it ready for the child as in
the video.

First show the child how to wrap the yarn, once the child is ready then handover. It could be that after a couple of rounds the child might get tired and stop. Then ask the child whether he/she would like to stop. If the child says yes then ask the child to put away the activity and finish it later or continue next day.

Let the child practice wrapping as young children like to repeat to master their skills. 

                                             Video: Yarn Wrapped Crafts for Children

Video: Weaving Activities for Children - for fine motor skills and dexterity

Montessori Sandpaper Numbers 0-9 Presentation

                                 

You will need DIY Montessori Sandpaper Numbers 0-9; you will find the instruction on how to make these here: https://littlemontessoripundits.blogspot.com/2021/03/montessori-diy-sandpaper-number.html

 Presentation:

 1. Take the Montessori sandpaper number box to the mat or the table. I prefer to do the presentation on the mat as there is enough room for the child to move and place the numbers.

 2. Place the box in the upper right corner.

 3. Take the first 3 numbers and place them face-down on your right side.

 4.  Put the 0 on one side.

 5. Take number 1 first and trace it with your pointer finger.

 6.  Give the number to the child and say it is his/hers turn now.

 7.  Place the number 1 in the top left hand corner of the mat.

 8.  Now take number 2 and trace, then pass the number to the child to trace.

 9.  Ask the child to put number 2 next to number 1.

10. Repeat the same with number 3.

11. Next allow the child to trace numbers 1 to 3.

12. You can repeat this two or three times.

13. Next mix the numbers and ask the child to put them in order and do a three period lesson with the child.

14. Once the child knows the first three numbers you can introduce the next three numbers and slowly the rest of numbers.

Points of Interest:

Understanding the concept of numbers.

Direct Purpose:

1. By using the fingers on the sandpaper numbers it give the child the sensorial feeling of the shape of the symbol and the quality.

2. Gradually teaching the child the sequence of numbers.

3. Recognition of numbers 0-9.

4. Preparation for writing numbers and future writing skills.

 

 
 

Montessori DIY Sandpaper Number (How to make these numbers)

Montessori DIY Sandpaper Numbers Instructions

Materials you need:

10 sheets of thick construction paper, I have used blue colour.

10 sheets of very fine grade of sandpaper

Wood glue and brush

Water colours

Brush that is about one centimetre thick.

Pair of Scissors

Method:

1. Cut the construction paper to 10 x10 square centimetres. ( Cut 10 squares)

2.  Now cut the sand paper into 10 x 10 square centimetres. (Cut 10 squares)

3. Choose a colour that you want to use for painting the numbers.

4. Paints the numbers from 0 to 9

5. Go over the numbers with the paint brush two to three times to get the thickness of the colour on the sandpaper.

6. Let it dry overnight.

7. Next with a pair of scissors cut around the sandpaper numbers.

8. Now take the wood glue and with a brush apply it to the back of the number.

9.  Next take a square construction paper and stick the number on it.

10. Press and allow it to dry.

11. Continue with the rest of the numbers.

12.  Let the numbers dry for about two to three hours. I prefer to leave it overnight.

13. Your sandpaper numbers are ready!

 

Instructions for making Sandpaper Numbers