Toddler yarn-craft ideas?

[slsurface]

My mother just gave me three boxes of cool wool and acrylic yarns from the 70s. She is moving and decided to finally part with her stash. My ds is fascinated by the yarn and loves the bright colors. I would love to do a yarn craft project with him, but I have no idea what a 20 month-old is capable of. He has very good hand-eye coordination for his age.

So far the only thing that he has done with yarn is "sew" together paper animals that I cut out and punched holes in around the edges. I showed him how to use an over-sized plastic needle and he was closely supervised.

Any other ideas?

[joshs_girl]

What about plastic canvas? you could draw big simple outlines and he could "embroider" on them - or do his own thing? that might be too advanced though...

Failing that, I'd suggest this (although it will take a bit on your part.)

Draw a lot of people and animal parts, punch holes (like you did) and laminate them. Then he can construct his own people and animals.

[flapjack]

skye can weave on a peg loom, although it helps when I let go of my expectations.

[VikingKvinna]

Here's a fun, albeit messy craft. Cover the outside of a bowl with saranwrap. Cut the yarn into lengths (at least several inches long) and soak them in a white glue/water solution. Lay the yarn lengths over the upside-down bowl in designs (could be a random design, w/a 20-month old ), making sure to overlap the yarn so the finished product will have some structure. Let the whole thing dry, then gently peel the yarn "bowl" off the real bowl and remove the saran.

You can also use the glue-soaked yarn to make designs on heavy paper.

[kimberlychapman]

I got my daughter to help me make a pasta garland for the Christmas tree last year and she would have been 26 months old.

I put tape on the end of the yarn, shoelace-like, and used short salad pasta. I showed her how to hold one at a time and "sew" them through.

She's got the kind of personality that will tolerate that kind of thing, and set about the task in a hyperfocus-dedicated sort of way, tongue poking out, heavy breathing, etc. Very funny to watch!

She got a couple on, then had more fun dumping noodles on the floor, then went back to it a few more times. In total, she got 12 on herself. I did the rest while she had a blast attacking the yarn.

Later I put it in a plastic bag, tossed it in a tiny amount of tempera paint and glitter, and then hung it to dry. She was very proud of the garland she made!

[Jyotsna]

Hope I'm not off base here on what you can do with the yarn.

Soak a very long peice of yarn in glue. Blow up a balloon, wrap the glue soaked yarn around it until you have covered most of it, but leave spaces uncovered. (Make sure you have left a bit of yarn to hang the ballon with)

Allow the ballow to dry. Take a needle or pin, and poke the balloon so that all you have left is the hardened yarn.

Also....

Finger knitting is very easy to teach a 4 year old. It takes time, and patiences, but soon your child will use up all that wonderful yarn making ropes, and whatever.

Also...

Yarn designs: Allow your child to glue bits of yarn and other things (like pasta, seeds and beans) on some strong paper or board. He can create any type of mosaic or design. Kids love this stuff.

Good luck.

[Jyotsna]

Forget the finger knitting...just saw he is 20 months! LOL

Lots and lots of glue and cut up yarn will work though.

[slsurface]

Thanks for all the great idea! You really got my creative juices flowing. I think I will try the messy string and glue bowl project on a rainy day when were are going stir-crazy in the house. It sounds like a really cool project to make for grandma!