My 3 yr old gets frustrated trying to crochet

[croschet03]

Ok, this might not be the right place for this, but...

My 3 yr old loves to sit with her very own plastic hook I bought her and some yarn she picked out at the store and try to make "a blanket" (chaining, in our language) while I work on a project. She gets frustrated when she can't do a chain. So, i thought maybe one of you have had the same problem and solved it by buying something her age group could do with yarn and hook (other than cutting it into a million pieces).

So, does anyone have any ideas on what I could teach her to do, so she feels like she is crocheting? Would a loom with a plastic hook be easy for her?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Val

[coolhockeymom]

maybe instead of teaching her to do a Chain with a hook teach her to use her finger as a hook first

it work when I was teaching my youngest

[shannie_nae]

Would she be able to do latch hook? If she could, she would have fun working with all the colors and seeing results pretty quickly. They have all sorts of fun simple craft projects for kids to do at hobby lobby so there might be some ideas there.

[Ldyjarhead]

I agree that finger chaining might be a good option for a child that young, but I wonder if she would think she were crocheting 'like Mom' if she didn't have a hook?

[croschet03]

I agree that finger chaining might be a good option for a child that young, but I wonder if she would think she were crocheting 'like Mom' if she didn't have a hook?

 

 

That's what I'm thinking. She wouldn't think it's the same. All about the hook.

[craziebunny]

I don't know if they still have this or not but one of t hem looms to make potholders with.where you just put the loop material around the post on one side then pull it to the other side.I have seen it somewhere just not sure where.

[ratdog]

what about the spool knitter? Or Sewing Cards?

 

I think it is Chinaberry or Hearthsong catalogs that have a "sewing block" a piece of wood with several drilled holes to "sew" with yarn and a plastic needle.

[Momcrochets]

I was thinking of the spool knitters or weaving looms (potholder craft) too. The spool knitters work much easier with a hook than that silly pointed stick they include...especially for little fingers. Weaving looms, I'm not sure how easy it would be to add the hook so she's crocheting "like mom" though.

(And I'm sure you're using a huge hook with smooth-type ww or chunky yarn...one friend I knew taught a little girl with an N hook and ww--it was easier for the little girl to hold, and not work too tight)

I think it's awesome that your DD wants to learn already though. They don't usually have the dexterity for that at such a young age. My two get the urge to try, sporadically. I encourage it, but once they lose interest I let them go--go play, whatever...DS(7) and DD(4)...if I force it, I'll lose them all together, yaknow?

HTH

[RusticOkie]

I don't know if they still have this or not but one of t hem looms to make potholders with.where you just put the loop material around the post on one side then pull it to the other side.I have seen it somewhere just not sure where.

 

 

They do still have these. I bought one for my neice a couple years back and they still have them at Hobby Lobby. I had one as a child and it was a lot of fun. I made potholders for everyone! lol

 

I think it would be a great project for someone her age.

[AutumnWindsong]

I have to agree with a few of the posts here. One of the kits that use cloth loops to make pot holders would be awesome for her. You have the loom...so dexterity isn't as much of an issue with her being only 3. Also, you use a *hook* to get the loops through the others. Once she has mastered this, she will learn crochet that much easier in a couple of years when she has more dexterity and can manage.

 

Blessed Be.

 

P. S. She doesn't have to use every single tab on the loom to make the pot holders. She can start out skipping every other tab, and make a pot holder that is smaller at first, until she gets the whole thing down.

[CLLinda]

As a teacher of young children, most young children really don't have the dexterity in their fingers to be able to do chains, crochet, spool knitting, etc. It's an eye-hand coordination that they develop by experience. Even something like tying shoes doesn't usually develop until the children are 5 or 6 or older.

 

What about Lacing cards? You take a shoelace and lace it through the holes on a very cute picture. They are available at school stores and probably Wal-mart.

 

Or very large buttons with shoelaces, so that the child is not working with a needle, and she still has the idea of working with "Crafts". I do have some very large buttons that my students lace with the shoelaces that were purchased at Hobby Lobby.

 

If you look at most craft kits, the minimum age is between 8 and 10. It has to do with small pieces and the children actually being able to do the craft.

 

I hope I don't seem too negative, but I have worked with little ones for 14 years. Cutting with scissors, tracing letters using the proper grip on a pencil, painting with a paint brush, etc. are all skills that take time to develop, through practice.

 

Don't give up. Eventually, she will be able to crochet.

 

[Empress Busy Bee]

young children, most young children really don't have the dexterity in their fingers

That's about what I was thinking. She's still developing her fine motor skills.

I think maybe the sewing cards would be good. My daughter loved them at the age and still loves them.

You might try the loom with the handle. I think it has a higher age recommendation but it might work for her if you help her.

Also try having her thread pony beads or macaroni. It's a good one for developing motor skills. It won't be the same as crocheting but she'll be thrilled to make you matching necklaces. My daughter sure was.

[morehotcoffee]

When my DD was 3, I cut out a piece of plastic canvas the size of a book marker. I knotted the yarn in the first hole leaving a small tail. She then would weave the yarn lengthwise into alternating holes. I was surprised as her color combinations. She felt as if she was accomplishing something at the same time I was doing my yarn work. She used the bookmarks as xmas presents and was so proud. She even had her little girl friends come and learn how to do this.

 

Sad to say, she has yet at 16 to enjoy yarn crafts of any type but it taught her to find her own crafting enjoyment. She is great at paper crafts, making tee shirts, etc...no knitting or crocheting. I told her if anything happened to me, she is not to sell my needles or stash or patterns. I guess I am still hoping she will one day want to learn.

[CLLinda]

That's about what I was thinking. She's still developing her fine motor skills.

...

Also try having her thread pony beads or macaroni. It's a good one for developing motor skills. It won't be the same as crocheting but she'll be thrilled to make you matching necklaces. My daughter sure was.

 

I forgot about pony beads and macaroni. Both are excellent for this age to make millions of necklaces out of for you and everyone your child knows. Always tie a bead on the end, so that the beads have a stopping point. Otherwise, they just fall off. And when you pick up her creation, handle carefully or they all fall off the string and end up on the floor. Done this many times.

 

And the pony beads are pretty reasonable. You may want to start with plastic lanyard (sp) cord so that you don't have to use a needle.

 

Good luck.

 

[Empress Busy Bee]

Oh I should have mentioned not to use a needle. If you want to use yarn, you can dip the ends in glue and smooth out to a 'tip', let dry on wax paper or hanging over something, and then you have a built in threader.

[mamarose22]

You can get some 5 mesh plastic canvas and a colorful shoelace, and perhaps your daughter might be able to lace it through the large holes. I also think she is far too young to try to do any real crafts.

[Crochet Garden]

I am not sure how this will work, but I taught my daughter how to make "fork flowers." It is not crochet, but it uses yarn. My daughter will be 4 in a few days, so she is an "older" 3... but with help, this may be something fun for her. I have a tutorial I wrote up today on how to do it, step by step with photos on my blog.

 

My daughter loves to make them, and the weaving does not have to be perfect That is the best part, just about anything they do with it will turn into a flower. And, then she can sit beside me while I crochet with her yarn. I am also thinking of making up some patterns, that can be embellished with these little flowers, kind of like a "mom and me" pattern.

 

How To Make A Fork Flower

 

[Momcrochets]

my 4yo still enjoys beads and string.

 

those fork flowers look cute...I'm going to have to look at your tute, Lisa. I bet my DD would enjoy those!

[Crochet Garden]

They are a lot of fun.. I would imagine they are great for 4-12 year olds... 3 years, they will need some guidance. Mostly, the starting and the ending... My daughter loves to pick out all of the colors for her flowers. Let me know if you need any help with the tutorial!

[ratdog]

I saw today in the chinaberry Christmas catagog the sewing block I mentioned in an earlier post. It is called a "Sew and Sew" and it is listed as being for ages 3-6

 

check their website chinaberry . com

[rsisland]

The fork flowers are adorable! You could also use those bigger serving type forks to have a bigger flower...maybe.

 

My 9 year old has always loved to do some kind of craft with Mom. He is a leftie and just can't seem to get the hang of knitting or crocheting. Plus, he gets frustrated easily. He has always liked to make things with plastic canvas though. We also did the bookmark type craft. It worked great for him when he was 3/4. He has spent many hours watching Mom crochet/knit while he played with shoelaces/yarn and beads/buttons.

 

I was reading a blog awhile ago about the sewing cards. The blogger used those colorful foam sheets to cut out patterns and punch holes in the shapes of animals, etc. I plan on making some for my grandson for Christmas. Colorful foam and colorful shoelaces might keep him busy for a minute or two

[croschet03]

Thank you for all the suggestions. The fork flowers are adorable and I'm going to see if she'd like to do that and the plastic canvas bookmarks.

Val