Review for Kids Knitting: Projects for Kids of all Ages

Kids love learning to knit. Knitting improves children’s concentration, trains their fine motor skills, and teaches them patience, all while doing something enjoyable and fun.

The Kids Knitting: Projects for Kids of all Ages
is geared for children aged 4 and up. It is divided into 8 chapters:

• Getting started – various knitting tools
• Knitting with two needles
• Shaping
• The purl stitch, stockinette stitch and ribbing
• Knitting in the round
• New stitch patterns
• Your first sweater
• Shopping for yarn

The book contains beautiful color photographs and attracts readers of all ages. The instructions provided are very child-friendly and give in-depth information to turn any beginner into a successful knitter. The various projects described are arranged in degrees of difficulty.

The book teaches children how to do proper blocking, how to make backpacks, hats, puppets, sweaters and scarves. It also shows them how to make wooden needles, sewing knitting bags and much more.

This book would make a terrific gift for any child with an interest in knitting.

Easy Knitting Ideas for Children

Knitting is often viewed as an activity for elderly ladies. Many young adults express an interest in it as well, knitting fashionable sweaters and funky scarves for themselves and their friends and families. Did you know that knitting is a wonderful activity for kids, too?

Children tend to become bored easily, and knitting is a very effective remedy. During car trips or while waiting for dinner, kids can occupy themselves by knitting. It helps them develop longer attention spans and improves their fine motor skills, and most kids find it enjoyable and relaxing.

There are many simple knitting projects that kids can do. Here are ten ideas:

1) Bookmarks – You can quickly and easily create a yarn bookmark by finger knitting. This is a great first project, as it requires no needles and no fancy stitches. All kids have to do is make a row of stitches.

2) Scarves – Simple scarves are among the easiest knitting projects. Using one color and the basic stitch, this provides excellent practice for young knitters. And the finished product makes a useful accessory for your child, or could be given as a gift to a grandparent or other family member to cherish for years to come.

3) Belts – Knitting a belt is very similar to knitting a scarf. The main difference is that it’s not as wide. Just knit a rectangle long enough to go around the waist and tie, and you’re done.

4) Squares – Knitted squares can be used in a variety of projects. If you need some for something you’re working on, let your child make them. This is a great way to practice making nice, even stitches that aren’t too tight.

5) Bean bags – A basic bean bag is easy to make out of two knitted squares. And if your child is interested in sewing, it provides an opportunity to practise that as well. Just have your child knit two squares of the same size, sew them together on three sides, put some beans in an old stocking and insert it in the bag. Sew the fourth side up, and it’s all done!

6) Coasters – Knitted squares can be used as coasters. Your child can knit up a set to use at home or give as a gift. If she would like to try a different shape, patterns can be found online and in beginners’ knitting books.

7) Dishcloths – Knitted dishcloths are great for getting those stubborn plates clean. And they make wonderful projects for young knitters. The broken rib pattern is a good choice for this project, and it’s an easy new stitch pattern to introduce to kids.

8) Envelope purses – An envelope purse is very easy for kids to make. Just knit a large rectangle, fold it together leaving a flap at the top, and sew the sides together. Add a knitted strap, and you have a stylish new bag.

9) Baby bibs – If there’s a baby in the family, big sisters, brothers or cousins will jump at the chance to make something for him. Knitting a baby bib can be as easy as stitching a large square and a cord, then sewing the cord on.

10) Animals – Knitting stuffed animals is a good way to introduce shapes to kids. They can knit two simple animal shapes, sew them on all sides but one, stuff and finish for a cute new toy.

Easy Sewing Project Ideas for Children

Finding sewing project ideas for children can be quite overwhelming. Most sewing projects are quite detailed, and patterns seem to be written in code! Not all sewing projects have to be so difficult. There are several easy sewing projects that children can try that they will enjoy the results of.

1) Bags – You don’t have to be an expert to make yourself a new purse. Envelope purses are very easy to make. Just cut out a large rectangle, fold up leaving a flap, and sew the sides together. Add a strap and you’re done! Drawstring bags are also a cinch.

2) Potholders – The potholder is a classic beginner’s sewing project. If you can cut squares out of fabric and filling material and sew seams, you can make one in a snap.

3) Heating pad – Heating pads are great for soothing sore muscles, and they’re simple to sew. Just cut a rectangle of fabric, fold the right sides together and sew the sides together. Turn right side out, fill with rice, and sew the fourth side up. Pop in the microwave to heat.

4) Pre-printed pillow tops – Those adorable handmade pillows can be easily made with pre-printed pillow tops. Just buy a kit and follow the directions for a unique throw pillow.

5) Stuffed animals – You don’t have to be an expert to sew a stuffed animal. You can whip one up out of any kind of fabric. Snakes are easy to make out of strips of scrap material. Just fold the right side of the strip together lengthwise, sew the edges together, turn right side out and stuff with batting. Sew the ends closed and draw a face on for a quick and easy toy.

6) Shawls – A shawl is an fun accessory for special occasions, yet it’s a cinch to make. All you need is a couple of yards of fabric and some thread, and there’s very little cutting involved.

Sewing Safety Tips for Young Children,

If you enjoy sewing, it is likely that your child is curious about sewing also. While we don’t want to discourage from learning this creative activity,Tte image of kids with sharp scissors and needles in hand makes almost all parents cringe. Fine motor skillls as well as math skills can be taught with sewing, it is a skill that everyone will find useful at some point in their life.

With proper safety precautions, sewing can be taught to even toddlers! While it doesn’t make much sense to let a three-year old loose with a sewing machine, even young kids can get started with the right tools and close supervision. Here are five safety tips to remember when dealing with budding tailors and seamstresses.

1.) Use age-appropriate supplies. Sewing scissors are too sharp and too large for young hands, and regular sewing needles present a laundry list of dangers. Let your child work with safety scissors and a plastic needle. If you give him a loosely knit, porous fabric, they will work just fine.

2.) Watch your child closely, especially during the first few attempts. For the youngest children, swallowing small parts such as needles and spools of thread is a concern. And even safety scissors could cut little hands. Until your child gets the hang of things, careful supervision is of the utmost importance.

3.) Maintain strict control over the sewing machine. Children younger than eight years old probably don’t have the motor skills and good judgment to attempt machine sewing. At eight years of age, it’s up to the parent to decide whether the child is ready. If you feel that she is, provide plenty of guidance and stay right with her while she makes those first stitches.

4.) Make sure the sewing machine is secured and inoperable when you’re not around. Put the needle and pressure foot down when done sewing, cover the machine and turn it off. You may even want to unplug it as an added precaution. Kids who are curious about sewing might try to use the machine when you’re not around, and if it’s not properly secured, they could be seriously injured.

5.) Keep scissors, needles and pins put up and out of kids’ reach when not in use. These things create a temptation for young, unsupervised kids as well. It’s also wise to keep a magnetic pin cushion in case of spillage.

Encouraging your child’s interest in sewing may help him develop a lifelong interest in this activity. This may serve him well later in life. He may even decide to sew clothes for himself or his family, or perhaps become a fashion designer in the future!

Physical Benefits of Arts and Crafts

Kids love art because it gives them opportunities for self-expression and a sense of accomplishment. Parents love it when their kids create art because it keeps them quietly and productively occupied. Little thought is usually given to the physical benefits of art, but they are significant.

It’s easy to see how art promotes hand-eye coordination. The simple act of putting crayon or pencil to paper and scribbling requires the hands and eyes to work together. Once that’s mastered, the child can take it a step further to begin to form lines and shapes.

Another important benefit of art involves the development of muscles in the hands and fingers. If you think about it, this makes as much sense as the relationship between art and hand-eye coordination. Going back to the drawing example, a child must learn to properly hold a crayon in order to successfully use it. Doing so requires him to use specific muscles in the hand that may have previously been rarely utilized. These are the same muscles that he will use later in life to perform everyday tasks such as writing.

Drawing isn’t the only type of art that develops muscles in the hands and fingers. Virtually every type of visual art offers such benefits in one way or another. Finger painting, for instance, requires controlled movement of the fingers. Painting with a paintbrush requires kids to grip in a different manner than that used when drawing or writing. And modeling clay or play dough involves squeezing, mashing and rolling.

Using scissors is another activity that is great for building muscles in the hands. The motions required to open and close the scissors work the hand in ways that few other activities do. Children can also build important muscles by beading. Using chenille stems and large beads makes it easy enough for small hands without compromising the benefits of the activity.

Even music can help develop hand and finger muscles. The most obvious example is playing the piano. The motions used to strike the keys directly correlate with those used in typing, which is an important skill later in life. Wind instruments also require certain hand motions. Even gripping drumsticks offers unique benefits.

Art in any form provides more benefits for young children than most of us realize. It’s good in a number of ways for cognitive and emotional development. And those simple tasks that we take for granted can help children build a good foundation for skills that they will use in coming years. From a simple pen and paper drawing to an intricate clay figurine, any art project can provide opportunities for kids to use hand and finger muscles in ways that they may not have used them before.

Toxic Chemicals in Common Art Supplies

Art is a wonderful thing for children. It helps them develop creativity, cognitive skills and motor skills. It is also great for self-esteem. While these benefits are undeniable, art also poses some risks to children. That’s because many art supplies contain toxic chemicals.

It’s fairly well known that kids should not be exposed to certain types of paint. The chemical fumes are quite obvious, and the containers are clearly labeled with warnings about breathing those fumes and ingesting the product. But many parents are unaware that not every product that contains toxic ingredients is clearly identified. There are certain labeling standards that must be adhered to by law, but the label doesn’t always tell the whole story.

Every art supply sold in the United States must conform to ASTM D 4236 standards. This means that they must display warnings if they present an acute or chronic health hazard. Manufacturers are not, however, required to list each product’s ingredients on the label.

Some art supply manufacturers have their products tested by the Art and Creative Materials Institute (ACMI), which is a non-profit organization that conducts evaluation and testing. ACMI may approve the product or require the manufacturer to place a caution label on it. Products with caution labels are not recommended for use by children.

While these measures are helpful, some harmful products can still slip through the cracks. For example, in 2000, three brands of crayons bearing the ACMI seal of approval were reportedly found to contain asbestos. While asbestos was not used as an ingredient, it may contaminate talc, which was an ingredient. ACMI testing did not find asbestos, but the manufacturers voluntarily stopped using talc in their products.

Another concern involves ACMI’s standards for approval. They do not require that products contain no toxins whatsoever, but that toxins not be present in quantities that pose a hazard. That means that approved products may contain small amounts of solvents, heavy metals, phthalates and other substances that are known to be dangerous.

How to Choose Safe Products

Unfortunately, there is no way to guarantee that a product we buy off the shelves contains absolutely no toxic chemicals. But we can make choices that are less likely to harm our children’s health. Here are some things to keep in mind.

• Avoid oil-based paints. They often contain solvents that can cause serious health problems. Watercolors are the safest choice for children, but even they can contain dangerous pigments. Make sure they bear the ACMI approved seal.

• Keep kids away from anything with a strong smell. This is usually an indicator that a solvent is present. In addition to paint, such solvents may be found in markers. Choose markers that are water-based if possible. Alcohol-based markers contain some toxins, but they are less toxic than solvent-based ones.

• Steer clear of rubber cement and similar adhesives. They contain neurotoxins. White glue and library paste are much safer choices.

• Do not allow children to work with dry clay. Clay contains silica, which can be harmful if inhaled. Wet clay is much safer. Children should be kept away from kilns, because some of the dust is released when clay is dried in them.

If you are concerned about toxic chemicals in store-bought art supplies, you can make your own. Finger paint and playdough are easy to make at home. Using all-natural ingredients can eliminate concerns about hazardous chemicals. Recipes may be found on this blog or in many other places online.

It’s unfortunate that many art supplies can be detrimental to our children’s health. But if we make informed choices, we can greatly reduce the risk and concentrate on the good things about art for kids.

The Importance of Art and Self-Expression in Toddlers

The toddler years are full of discovery for a child. Not only is she learning about the world around her, she’s also learning about herself. One of the most discussed aspects of toddlerhood is how children learn to use words to convey their thoughts and feelings. But children also learn to express themselves in other ways during the early years.

One of the most intriguing ways that youngsters express themselves is through art. If you hand a young child a crayon and a piece of paper, she will almost certainly start scribbling away contentedly. While this may not look like art to an adult, it’s fascinating to young minds.

Toddlers are not consciously aware of color co-ordination and spatial relationships. But art can give them a sense of these things. And this is only the beginning. Some of the many benefits of art for toddlers include:

• Art boosts a child’s confidence. Even monochromatic scribbles on a piece of paper give kids a sense of accomplishment, because they've created something that wasn’t there before. And as they progress toward using multiple colors and forming recognizable shapes, they gain even more confidence.
• Artistic activities are soothing. Being a toddler can be frustrating, and participating in a quiet activity provides a chance to calm down. Art takes a child’s mind off of the source of frustration and channels it into something enjoyable and productive.
• Art lengthens a child’s attention span. The simple act of putting crayon to paper or squeezing a ball of clay requires a child to pay attention to what she’s doing. And while toddlers tend to spend most of their waking hours on the run, art can keep them sitting still for several minutes at a time. As their skills develop, so will their attention spans.
• Art builds motor skills. Holding a crayon, finger painting, squeezing and flattening clay or play dough, and gluing shapes onto paper all require kids to use their hand muscles in different ways. Such activities also promote hand-eye coordination.
• Creative activities promote abstract thinking. When a child takes an idea and puts it on paper or models it in play dough, she is creating a physical representation of something that exists in her mind. Learning to use this type of thinking early will help your child learn more efficiently throughout life.

Self-expression is a critical part of every child’s development. Speech can help toddlers convey what they’re thinking and feeling, but it can hardly keep up with their constantly evolving brains. Art provides another much-needed outlet for budding young minds, and at the same time it teaches important skills. It’s also lots of fun for them. With all of these benefits, it’s easy to see why encouraging toddlers to be artistic is so important.

Easy Craft Ideas for Toddlers

Young children are always on the go. Children have an insatiable need to explore their world, and learn about everything in it. Although children need plenty of time to run around and actively play, a creative project can keep them interested in some quiet time. Crafting can provide a perfect creative project for toddlers and children of all ages.


These easy craft ideas are great for toddlers or young children for several reasons. Simple crafts can help children to develop or improve their hand-eye coordination. Longer attention spans can be developed as you increase the complexity of the craft projects. Simple crafts will also help children learn to follow step by step instructions. Try out these simple children's craft ideas with your toddler!

Craft Stick Puppets

Puppets are fascinating to toddlers. Creating their own puppets is easy, and it's lots of fun. All you really need are some craft or popsicle sticks, construction paper, safety scissors, markers and glue.


Help your toddler cut animal shapes out of construction paper. He can draw faces and other details with washable markers. Glue the stick to the back of the shape, let dry, and he's ready to put on a puppet show. If you want to make more elaborate puppets, try cutting shapes out of foam. Glue on a pom pom for the nose, and add some googly eyes.

These new craft stick puppets can be taken along for when you need to have your toddler quiet and entertained. They will enjoy playing with their new toys that they made, and be happily quiet for a time.

Paint with Pudding

Kids love to fingerpaint, but it's so messy. And there's also the concern about them eating the paint. Even if the paints are nontoxic, it can make cautious parents uneasy. The solution? Let them paint with pudding!


You don't need different flavors to make different colors. Just use one serving of plain vanilla pudding, divide it up into small portions, and add food coloring to create various shades. Give your child a paper plate to use as a canvas for his masterpiece. When he's done, he can eat it with no worries.

Design a T-Shirt

If your toddler sees you sewing or painting clothes with fabric paint, she may want to try her hand at designing clothes. But needles are small and sharp, and fabric paint is messy. What to do? Break out the markers!


Kids can have a blast decorating a plain white t-shirt with colorful markers. If you use washable ones, they can create a design, wear it, and start over after you wash the shirt. If a permanent design is desired, however, you'll have to let him use non-washable markers. You can avoid a mess by covering the work area with newspaper and putting a smock on your toddler.

Placemats

Making placemats out of contact paper is very easy. Have your toddler cut shapes out of construction paper and glue them onto a whole piece of construction paper with a glue stick. He can add detail with markers or embellish with stickers. When he's done, place the artwork on a piece of contact paper, sticky side up. Place another sheet of contact paper on top, sticky side down.


Even if your toddler only has the patience to make one placemat at a time, don't despair. This is an easy project to be packed up, and brought back out when they are ready. Eventually enough will be made to fill the entire table. Then you can start on presents for family or friends! 



Crafting can help your toddler learn important skills while keeping him quietly occupied. Whether it's a rainy day or they are just feeling creative, seize the opportunity to let him channel his imagination into something you can both admire.