good ideas for beads?

I want to get the kids some beads to string, but I'm daunted by the mess factor. How do you keep them from getting all over the place?

And did you just get stuff from a craft store, or did special beads (designed specifically as toys for toddlers) work out better for you?

 

I would get some kind of orgainzer box from a craft store that is divided and keep them in there so they stay in one spot all the time. Plus, with an organizer box, you could sort the beads and teach the kids how to sort things based on shape, color, etc, while they are playing with the beads.

 

Instead of beads, we dye pasta and use other food.

To dye pasta, get a bowl, put in rubbing alcohol, food color and pasta. Once you get the desired color, put the pasta on paper towels to dry.

Other foods, cheerios, fruit loops. . .also, save egg cartons for sorting.

 

I'd use vinegar instead of rubbing alcohol so you don't have to worry if they eat some of it... although I've never taken time to dye the pasta. Pasta is great because you can choose larger tubes like ziti for beginners and graduate to smaller shapes as their skills improve. If you get a string that's a little bit stiff (like a thin twine or waxed string or leather lacing) it will be easier for them to use.

 

I was going to suggest Cheerios, too -- if you get the fruity ones, you can have colorful "beads" and a treat all in one! And then, just vacuum up if they make a mess.

 

I would also stick with pasta and cereal for now. Most of the beads just seem really small, I don't think we were doing any real beads just yet at 2.5. They really liked coloring the pasta with markers.

 

I'll be the lone voice of craziness... Piper and Cricket found my bead stash a few months ago and now we make bead projects all the time. The beads don't get all over the place because we only play with them while sitting in the middle of the play room rug. I have a clear plastic bead organizer that I put everything back into when they're done. I've tried to get the girls to clean up but they're not really into picking up all the beads, so I cave and just do it myself. The favorite project so far is making bead necklaces with a pipe cleaner and small plastic beads that just fit over the pipe cleaner. Every member of my family now has about ten bead necklaces.

You'll never know if it's a hit unless you try...

ETA: You can get a selection of small plastic beads at any craft store. These are the ones that C & P like the best.

 

Oh, it would be a hit with my two, for sure -- but I also know that Kevan, at least, would ingest half the beads. :laughing:

 

My sitter (who is way more creative and daring than I ), has done painted pasta with the girls. They used paint AND glitter and then made necklaces. Our sitter said the girls were enthralled for like 2 hours working on their creations!

 

I forgot to mention that we use pipe cleaners for beads because it's much easier for little fingers to get a bead on a pipe cleaner (which is stiff) versus a piece of string (which is floppy). Also, the beads don't fall off if the pipe cleaner is thrown or dropped as they do with string/yarn.

 

Aaah, that's how you're supposed to do it! We spent one very very messy, but rather fun afternoon painting scores of pasta in all different colours.

I also made big beads with them one time by rolling modelling clay into balls and then threading it onto wooden skewers (the type used for kebabs barbeques) and letting it dry. Then we painted them and finally we threaded them onto a plastic thread as it was fairly stiff (or pipe cleaners) to make bracelets and necklaces. It was a project over several days but the girls did enjoy themselves.