My daughter when she was 3 years old, making a beaded necklace. As the mom of two girls, we have beaded together from the time they were 2 years old. My girls loved to sit on the floor of my beading room stringing all the pretty beads while I prepared for parties and school workshops. Now that they are both in school, teachers often comment on their highly advanced fine motor skills, and how neat their writing is. I am convinced that this is because of all of the fine motor benefits of beading with toddlers.
For toddlers and preschoolers, picking up beads as well as threading the beads onto the string helps with their grasping. Various sizes of beads promote different grasps. Larger beads often promote the "3-jaw chuck" grasp, similar to holding a large pencil or marker. This helps with the child's pencil grip when they start school, and helps them to write neater and for a longer period of time. It also helps them to dress themselves and to use buttons which is so important for when they start school.
Smaller beads encourage children to use their pincer grasp, thus strengthening the small muscles of their hands. It also helps with in-hand manipulation skills. Many components of making a beaded craft increase strength and coordination in the small hand and finger muscles. For example, picking a bead up from the beading tray, and then manipulating it in one's hand until it is pinched between your thumb and finger, involves translation, shift and rotation movements of the bead within the hand.
Smaller beads encourage children to use their pincer grasp, thus strengthening the small muscles of their hands. It also helps with in-hand manipulation skills. Many components of making a beaded craft increase strength and coordination in the small hand and finger muscles. For example, picking a bead up from the beading tray, and then manipulating it in one's hand until it is pinched between your thumb and finger, involves translation, shift and rotation movements of the bead within the hand.
Another huge advantage to beading with your toddler or preschooler, is the fun introduction to math and problem solving. When you bead with your child, ask them what style of necklace do you want to make? What pattern will you choose? Where are all the materials needed to complete this beading activity? How long will your necklace, bracelet, or keychain be? How many beads do you need to complete this project? How can you create and maintain this beading pattern? Encouraging children to think through these functional math problems is a motivating way to introduce and improve academic skills in this area.
To get started with beading with your toddler, click here to see our amazing jewelry party kits. Our kits come with tiger tail wire, which is the perfect beading string for toddlers and preschoolers to use.
We hope you enjoy your special bonding time beading with your child, and please comment and tell us how it went.
To get started with beading with your toddler, click here to see our amazing jewelry party kits. Our kits come with tiger tail wire, which is the perfect beading string for toddlers and preschoolers to use.
We hope you enjoy your special bonding time beading with your child, and please comment and tell us how it went.
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