Beading, or ‘making a necklace’ activities for toddlers are fantastic not only because they are fun but also because beading is a great fine motor skill activity. Recently Sweet Pea and I took a little time and made this super cute necklace together. Read on to find out more about the experience!
Simple ‘Making a Necklace’ Activities for Toddlers
Sweet Pea is currently in love with Minnie Mouse. So, I thought it would be fun to make a necklace in the same colors as the Minnie Mouse Bowtique.
Materials Needed to Make this Necklace
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- White pony beads
- Purple pony beads
- Pink pony beads
- Elastic stretch cord. The color isn’t that important. I think we used pink.
- Scissors
How to Make the Necklace
- Measure the elastic cord so that it would make a nice length necklace around your toddler’s neck. Make sure it is long enough that when tied off, your toddler can put it on without help.
- Tie a double knot.
- Put the pony beads in a bowl and help your toddler thread the beads onto the cord.
- Tip #1: You might need to hold the cord for your toddler so that they can concentrate on getting the bead onto the end of the cord.
- Tip #2: You might need to demonstrate how to thread the bead to the bottom of the cord once your toddler gets the bead onto the cord.
- Tip #3: In addition to fine motor skills, you can also work on color or pattern recognition by directing your toddler to pick the next color you want him/her to thread.
- Tip #4: Alternatively, you can let the activity be a more creative exercise and let your toddler choose the beads in whatever order they want.
- Once you and your toddler have threaded enough beads to make the necklace length you desire, tie the necklace off in a double knot.
Isn’t that easy?
As a Mom, it was so much fun to watch Sweet Pea concentrate so intently on this project. She was delighted with the final product and kept talking about how she ‘did it!’ What a great activity to build confidence!
What kinds of activities do you like to do with your toddler?
Here are some other ideas you may want to try out:
http://theimaginationtree.com/2014/06/20-activities-for-toddlers.html
http://handsonaswegrow.com/physical-activities-toddlers/
http://www.playcreateexplore.org/2013/01/baby-oil-sensory-bags.html
http://lemonlimeadventures.com/simple-2-minute-toddler-activities/#_a5y_p=2694395
Thanks for reading!
Sara