This was a fun project the kids did at the preschool this week. I wanted to come up with a simple stitching craft that would give me an idea where the children are with their understanding of sewing. It also helps me see how their fine motor skills are improving.
I thought they would enjoy stitching the first letter of their name...and I was right!! They were thrilled at recognizing which initial was theirs.
- I started by roughly drawing the letters on squares of cardboard (these pieces came from the back of pads of paper and were just the right weight of cardboard for stitching)
- next, using a screwdriver, I just roughly went around the letter poking holes about an inch apart
- before class I had pre-threaded blunt-tipped darning needles with yarn tying a big knot in the two ends of yarn, thus securing the needle
- after a brief explanation of how to do this stitching, "front-to-back, back-to-front", and to make sure they were pulling the yarn all the way through the hole before making the next stitch, I just let them get started
As usual, the kids all impressed me with their patience in working the stitches around the letter. Some chose to go around twice filling in all the gaps, others were satisfied with just the running stitch. I was also thrilled that the older kids who finished first, helped the younger ones who were struggling just a bit. Well, I think it's time to get them started on their nature pouches!
