Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Toddler Learning Activity: Sewing

Break out those egg cartons.  It's Easter Time!  And I know we'll all have mountains of those things lying around after eggs are all dyed and tucked into the refrigerator for Easter morning.  But then, what do you do with all the cartons?  Look no farther, my friends.  We've got a lesson in toddler-friendly sewing!

THINGS YOU'LL NEED:
Egg carton
Exacto knife
Ribbon or twine
Paper clip

First, cut off the lid and little edge-piece.  You want the bottom part, clutter-free.

Next, cut random holes in the bottom of the carton.

Tie one end of the ribbon to the carton the other end to a paper clip.  I eyeballed the length to my toddler's arm-span.  Too long will make it difficult to sew.  Too short won't leave much ribbon to sew with.

TIP:  Use a brightly colored ribbon so your toddler can see what he's doing.  I'd actually recommend using a thicker piece of ribbon than what I've shown here, so the "needlework" is more noticeable to your little seamster/seamstress once the sewing project has begun.

And let me tell you, it was a riot...the low-key variety.  After all, sewing takes a lot of concentration.

It was fun to see him start to get the concept of threading the ribbon through holes.

TIPS/SUGGESTIONS:
For younger toddlers who may have difficulty grasping the paperclip, try tying the ribbon to a baby spoon instead.  Easier to grab.  Same general concept.

Let your toddler be creative and experiment with this activity.

Once your toddler is done, set the sewing project aside to show Mommy or Daddy later on, and lavish on that praise!

-Alyssa


-Original idea from www.toddlertoddler.com



2 comments:

Laura said...

This looks really cute, Alyssa. I have a whole stack of empty egg cartons we've been saving up. Now I have something to do with them. :) Thanks!

Tannie Datwyler said...

I'm excited to try this!