There are lots of fun projects that kids can do with yarn, and it’s a great activity to have in your Montessori classroom to work on fine motor skills and patience/perseverance!  Some kids really don’t like the sensorial experience of having yarn wrapped around their fingers, but there are many ways to weave with yarn that don’t include finger knitting.  Here are a couple of favorites from over the years:

Weaving on Cardboard Loom

You can use some scraps of cardboard to make a little loom that is just the right size for weaving dollhouse rugs or little scraps of fabric! Work on the over/under motion and keep weaving until you have a completed project. This one doesn’t take too long to complete, so it’s a great first project.

Weaving Yarn Baskets

Another quick and easy yarn project is to weave a yarn basket using these cardboard templates. The end result is beautiful AND useful. It again works on the over/under motion while also moving in a circular motion to create the shape of a bowl. My girls loved these in their preschool years!

Finger Knitting

Finger knitting is probably the yarn handiwork you hear about the most with Montessori, and some children really take to it! My own girls did not like it much because it left their hands occupied for a long period of time and they wanted to be able to take breaks and come back to it rather than working on one thing. Here are several tutorials on finger knitting.

Weaving on Hat or Scarf Looms

If your child is really interested in having a finished project at the end, hat looms and scarf looms are a great option! This is where you start to use a hooked tool, kind of bridging the gap between finger knitting and weaving and true crochet crafts.

Crocheting/Knitting

And finally, we move from simple yarn work to actually crocheting or knitting! Once your child gets to the elementary years, they may be ready for something more. My daughter loves this handiwork book and used it to teach herself to crochet and knit!

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