Education Category: Creative
Ages: 0-4, 4-8, 8-12, 12-16

This is a perfect activity for children of all ages. Stringing beads helps develop the hand-eye coordination kids need to write, and noodles are just the right size for junior jewelry-makers. Plus, they’re non-toxic and inexpensive.

What You Need:

• Uncooked pasta in assorted shapes, all with holes in the middle for stringing. Wagon wheels, ziti, and other wide, tubular pasta shapes are perfect.
• Sturdy string, such as fishing line or bead string available in craft stores. Simple kitchen twine will work as well, but limp string can be harder for little hands to manipulate.
• Scissors
• Magic markers (optional)

What to Do:

• If you want colored pasta, let your child color the noodles with magic marker and let them dry before she starts stringing (or you can simply buy already colored pasta available in most grocery stores). Note: If your child does decide to color the beads herself, the ink may run onto clothing or skin even after the noodles have dried.
• Cut the string to the right size for a necklace, leaving extra length to tie a knot. Make sure to size it generously so your child will be able to slip out of if it should get caught on something. Do not tie the ends together. Tie one end to a wagon wheel (or whatever pasta you happen to be using).
• Use the other end as the “needle” to thread through the rest of the pasta. Encourage your child to make patterns – for example, two ziti and then one wagon wheel.
• When the necklace is finished, cut off any extra string and tie the other end to the wagon wheel that is attached to the string. This activity is cheap and chic!