Easy And Unique Threading Beads Activities For Preschoolers

There comes a time when kids are fascinated by beautiful, colourful beads. Slowly they learn about the threading activities, and in no time, they start making creative things using beads and, of course, their mind. But are these activities really beneficial for children? If yes, how?

Yes, these threading activities are really beneficial for children and help them master many skills, including fine motor skills. Let’s study the magic of threading beads for children with the help of this article.

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When Can Your Child Learn To Thread Beads?

There is no right answer to when a child starts threading beads. It’s quite a challenging activity, and it takes a while for a child to learn and master it. It also depends on the child’s maturity and fine motor development.

Generally, toddlers start the stringing beads activity with big beads or other things but not with much control. But by the time they are 3 or 5 years old, a child can thread regular-sized playing beads and make different patterns while stringing them.

Why Is Threading Activity Good For Children?

There are numerous benefits of threading beads for children. Some of these benefits are:

1. Strengthens Fine Motor Control

Stringing beads strengthens fine motor skills. Yes, threading beads are an excellent way for children to strengthen their finger muscles and also learn how to control their fingers as they work together. If a child develops fine motor skills in childhood, it becomes easy for them later when they have to hold a pencil and write.

2. Improves Bilateral Coordination

When we use both sides of the body to perform certain actions, like walking, clapping, running, etc., it is known as bilateral-coordination. Therefore, while threading beads, a child learns to hold the bead with one hand while controlling the yarn with the other.

3. Helps In Colour Recognition

Colour recognition is one of the most important things a child should know. Threading beads is an excellent way for children to practise colour recognition. You can ask your child to use a red bead, make a pattern with green and blue beads, or tell you what colour bead they want to string next.

4. Hand-Eye Coordination

While threading beads, children carefully pass the bead through a thread, working on their hand-eye coordination. Hand-eye coordination is an important aspect of physical development for children, and children must be given enough opportunities to work on them.

5. Early Maths Skills

Believe it or not, threading beads can help children develop early maths skills. Ask your child to pass a particular number of beads through a thread or ask them to add 2 beads of red and 5 beads of orange colour to make a pattern.

6. Attention Span

Threading beads is an intricate activity for kids. When beading, a child will have to sit for some time, which in turn builds their attention span.

7. Perseverance

Sitting for threading beads will teach a kid not only how to sit in one place and focus but also how to persevere and retry if they fail.

8. Creativity

A child is able to develop creativity when they are left to do a task independently. This way, they come up with ways to solve problems for themselves. Threading beads is a fun activity to do, and you must give your child an opportunity and see what they can make using their creative skills.

9. Language

Your child can also work on their language skills while threading beads. All you need to do is ask them what they are doing:

• Are you threading a necklace?
• Can you repeat the pattern for me?
• What colour beads are you going to pick next?

Difference Between Threading And Lacing

Do you know that there is a difference between threading and lacing? Let’s look at the difference between the two terms.

Threading is stringing beads or other items onto a thread, like a necklace. Whereas, lacing is passing a thread into and out of holes of some surface, like tying the laces of shoes.

Simple And Fun Threading Activities For Your Child

Here are fun, entertaining threading activities for children.

1. Straw Necklace

What Will You Need

• Ribbon
• Tape
• Scissors
• Straw

How To Make

1. Cut straws into smaller pieces.
2. Cut the ribbon to the desired size and tape one end to the table.
3. Ask your child to pass the straw pieces through the ribbon.
4. Tie a knot to secure the ribbon, and the straw necklace is ready.

2. Felt Paper Snake

What Will You Need

• Felt sheets
• Ribbon
• Big Button
• Scissors
• Thread

How To Make

1. Cut felt sheets into 2.5-inch squares.
2. Fold the square in half and make a small notch, enough to pass the ribbon through this hole.
3. First, pass a big button through the ribbon and take it to the ends secured with a knot.
4. Slip one square down the ribbon and slide it all the way to the end of it. Repeat for all the other squares.
5. Enjoy playing with the felt paper snake.

3. Fall Tree

What Will You Need

• Pipe cleaners
• Beads

How To Make

1. Fold the pipe cleaners in half and twist them around your finger.
2. Do not twist all the way to the top. Leave the last half of the pipe cleaners free.
3. Now, remove your finger, and spread the loops of the tree out.
4. Tape the loop to the sheet to make the base of the tree.
5. Next, twist, bend and spread the upper third of the pipe cleaners to make branches.
6. Thread the green and yellow beads onto the branches so that they look like leaves.

4. Rainbow Craft

What Will You Need

• Fruit cereal – rainbow colours
• 2 marshmallows
• Yarn

How To Make

1. Cut yarn long enough to fit around your toddler’s wrist.
2. Next, ask your child to sort the fruit cereal by colour.
3. Pass the marshmallow through the yarn, a little more than halfway, to make the cloud at one end.
4. Start passing the fruit loops through the yarn now in rainbow colours.
5. Finish this by passing another marshmallow on the end of the fruit loops.
6. Tie it around your child’s wrist and secure it with a knot.

5. Cheerios Bird-Feeder

What Will You Need

• Pipe cleaner
• Cheerios

How To Make

1. Make a loop at one end of the pipe cleaner.
2. Thread cheerios onto the pipe cleaner.
3. Once the pipe is full of cheerios, twist its two ends together.
4. Hang the bird feeder at a perfect place.

6. BFF Bracelet

What Will You Need

• Ribbon
• Heart Shape Beads

How To Make

1. Take three beads and string them onto the ribbon, and centre them.
2. Tie a knot on each side of the beads to secure them.
3. Tie it to a friend’s wrist and enjoy!

7. Beaded Bookmark

What Will You Need

• Thread
• Beads

How To Make

1. Take a thread and tie a knot at its one end so that a bead can’t pass through it.
2. Next, pass three beads of the same shape through the thread and tie a knot to secure them.
3. Leave a 1-inch gap and tie another knot so that a bead can’t pass through it.
4. Now pass three big beads of different shapes and tie a knot after the third bead.
5. Repeat the above two steps again, but using different and bigger beads.
6. Finally, secure with the final knot, leaving a 1-inch space from the top.
7. Your bookmark is ready.

8. Straw And Bead Chain

What Will You Need

• Paper straws
• Wooden shimmer beads
• String

How To Make

1. Cut paper straws into small pieces to match beads.
2. Cut the string 6 inches longer than you want your chain to be.
3. Tie one wooden bead securely to one end of the string.
4. Add the straw pieces and wooden beads alternatively to the string to make a pattern.
5. After this is done, thread the string through the very first bead and tie it securely to the other end.
6. Trim the string at the ends and enjoy.

9. Beaded Wand

What Will You Need

• Pipe cleaner
• Colourful beads

How To Make

1. Bend one end of the pipe cleaner into a loop and make any shape, and twist the end around to secure it in place.
2. Leave about 10 cm of the pipe cleaner going down from the loop.
3. Thread colourful beads onto the long bit of the pipe cleaner.
4. Now, bend the end of the pipe cleaner around the last bead to secure it.
5. Your wand is ready!

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