Kids threading practice

So you have a budding tailor or seamstress in the house? There is no better excercise than this to create wonderful artwork, practice their one of many future occupations and don't forget about fine motor skills.

What you need:

• large blunt needle
• different coloured wool
• scissors
• coloured paper

Number of players:

Activity:

Help your child to thread the needle with a length of coloured wool.

Pull the wool through the needle so that it is resting at the middle of the thread.

When side by side the wool will create a double thread to be used for sewing.

Tie a knot so that both ends of the wool are tied together and the needle is trapped.

Hold the paper and pierce the needle through it, pulling the thread up through the hole.

Create a stitch by pushing the needle and thread back through paper at least 2cms away from the original piercing.

Repeat this process to form new stitches.

It may help to imagine the needle and thread is like a brightly coloured earthworm pushing through the soil’s surface, and then burying itself back through the topsoil.

When you run out of thread, rethread a new colour using the double thread threading process.

Then create new stitches using the earthworm method.

Notes:

• Use a brown paper shopping bag to sew onto (see picture). Then your child can carry their unique sewing collage around in style!
• Trace a line onto a page with a pencil and get your child to practice sewing along it.
• Instead of a needle and thread you can produce the same threading exercise by using pipe cleaners. Poke holes in a line using scissors or a large blunt needle and then thread pipe cleaners through. Use card instead of paper for a stronger 'fabric'.