Stringing practice
Stringing takes some serious fine motor skills, not to mention coordination. Have you ever stopped to watch a child who is just learning how to string struggle to get both of their hands to do different functions at the same time – it’s one of those things that we take for granted as adults, but it is really really hard to learn, and it’s not easy to explain the process to a child because we don’t have to think about doing it ourselves.
Stringing is a simple activity that is easy to prep, but it helps to change up the materials so that it always seems new and interesting. Here is a great list of things that you can string:
- Wooden beads
- Plastic beads
- Homemade beads
- Pasta
- Washers and nuts
- Cheerios and Fruit Loops
- Pool noodle slices
- Toilet paper tubes
- Buttons
- Jingle bells
- Paper drinking straws
- Plastic drinking straws
- Pretzels
- Pop can tabs
- Keys
- Empty tape rolls
- Spools
- Velcro rollers
- Small wiffle balls/ping pong balls with holes
- Paper clips
What you string is just as important as what you string it on, it’s important to know what level your students are at and provide opportunities that help them to be successful while still challenging them. Here are some different “string” options;
- Yarn
- Plastic lanyard string
- Shoelaces
- Grosgrain ribbon
- Curling ribbon
- Embroidery floss
- Pipe cleaners
- Plastic-coated wire
- Leather cord
- Twine
- Rope
- Fishing wire
What are your students’ favorite stringing materials?