Pasta necklace for Grandma

Children paint pasta tubes and thread them onto a string following a pattern – a present for Grandma and practice for both hands.

Steps

1. The day before, children paint penne pasta or colour it in a bag with a few drops of food colouring and a little vinegar.
2. The teacher wraps the end of the string with sticky tape to make a stiff 'needle'.
3. Children lay out a pattern on a strip of paper (e.g. red, yellow, red) and thread the pasta to match it.
4. Older children alternate pasta with large wooden beads and count the pattern's pieces.
5. The teacher ties the necklaces and children wrap them in tissue paper with a card.

Tip: Threading makes both hands work together: one holds the string, the other guides it. Give younger children thicker ribbon and pasta with large holes.

Materials needed

• Cotton string (1 ball)
• Large wooden beads (1 pack)
• Poster paints (1 set per group)