As mom to a kindergartner and a third-grader, I thought I'd seen every toy/craft activity out there. But on a playdate at S's friend house recently, I discovered something totally new-to-me. It's called Perler Beads and it's basically tiny beads plus reusable pegboards that your kids can use to create fun shapes that you (the grown-up) iron onto special paper to create solid charms. I watched a small group of 5-year-old boys riveted to this activity for about an hour--no small feat! And I was pretty entranced by it, too. It's recommended for ages 5 and up (and obviously you need an adult for the ironing part), but I think some kids with good fine motor skills could try the beading designs at a younger age. At Amazon.com you can get a Perler Beads 6,000 Count Bucket with fun shapes that appeal to both boys and girls for just $8.90. Add this to your list of affordable holiday toys!
There are also "Biggie Beads" by perler for ages four and up. The bigger boards are sold separately. I found them at Michaels. These were perfect for my five year old twins; they found the smaller ones too frustrating. When I was a kid we called these "hama beads"
ReplyDeleteMy first graders LOVED these and like you said they are great for fine motor. I was going to tell you about the bigger beads too, but someone already beat me to it! They are great for younger children!
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