Make Straw Necklaces

See more activities in: Preschool, Patterns

Making jewelry doesn't need to be an advanced or elaborate project! With just a bit of assistance and some easy-to-find materials, your kid can create a charming, colorful necklace. She'll get her feet wet with pattern making, and sneak in some fine motor skills, too, with this simple, yet adorable activity.

What You Need:

  • Two colors of straws
  • Child-safe scissors
  • Yarn

What to Do:

  1. Cut a piece of yarn that's long enough to make a necklace. You can measure it by holdng the piece around your child's neck and letting her indicate how long she wants it. Tie a knot at the bottom.
  2. Give your child several straws and show her how to cut them into pieces of about an inch long. She should make two piles-- one of each color.
  3. Once she's created a pile of pieces, invite her to create a pattern as she strings the straw sections onto the yarn. Patterning is a key skill for early math development.
  4. When your child is done, simply tie the two ends of the yarn together. The necklace is complete!

Once she gets the hang of this, the project can be varied by having her create patterns with three or more straw colors.