I made this toy a few weeks ago but never got around to posting it. I saw some sets of lacing beads online and they had good reviews from parents of both boys and girls, so I was thinking about buying a set. It's basically a length of thin rope and jumbo wooden beads to string, to help teach toddlers motor skills. But ordering them and paying shipping was a little pricey, so I saw some ideas for making a set instead.
I checked Joann's for large beads but even though they were big, they were still small enough that Parker could put them in his mouth so I opted not to get them. I was going to put it on hold for a while, however, I was in Target shortly after that and I happened to walk past a box of foam pool noodles--perfect!
We picked out a bright blue one and paid $2 for it. Kyle already had some thin red rope left over from another project so I was all set. The only 'tools' I needed were a serrated knife and a cutting board.
I started cutting the noodle into rings, making them different widths.
It cut really easily with a knife! I only used about half of the noodle and I got a pretty good pile of rings.
I cut a piece of rope about 3' long and tied a loopy knot in one end so the rings wouldn't fall off as easily. The last step was to light a match and hold the ends of the rope up to the flame just for a second. This melted the fibers together so the ends can't fray and come apart.
That's it!
Although I don't think Parker is old enough for this one just yet... he didn't quite get it when I showed him what to do--he tossed the rope aside and wanted to stack the little rings! Since then he's enjoyed playing with them and scattering them throughout the house. I tried showing him again last week how to string them and he actually did okay, as long as I held the rope for him. So I guess this may be one for when he's a little older. :)
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