This year FunLab camps feature Elastic weaving using the Elasticolor Looms! When I pulled out the looms the kids all started to cheer which was a good indication that the craft was going to be a success. The one thing that shocked me is that they knew how to use the elastics to make bracelets but not how to use the looms – in fact, when they showed me how it was done one the fingertips I immediately outlawed finger weaving because the kid’s fingertips turned an awful purple color by the time the bracelet was completed! The first step was to teach the kids how to use the loom and the hook (and we did it in English – so much fun they did not realize that we were doing an English lesson)!
You will need:
Elasticolor Pro Kit
Word development: loom, hook, elastic bands, purple, hot pink, blue, orange, red, white, yellow and green, over, under, zigzag, overlapping, tentacles, eyes, body
Recommended Age: 7 plus
Step 1: Have the kids sort the rubber bands into color groups.
Step 2: Teach the kids how to put the elastics onto the loom to make a simple bracelet – everyone works together. We followed the instructions in the manual provided with the kit. The kids who finished faster helped the slower workers!
Step 3: Using the hook – start weaving!
Once the kids learned how to make the first bracelet using the loom, I let them experiment making other color combinations. After their skill level had improved we moved onto AN OCTOPUS!
Step 1: We watched the tutorial in English on how to make the octopus. Click here for the link.
Step 2: Have the kids make 8 tentacles. Remember to leave 3 tentacles on the hook until ready to make the octopus. This took a better part of the morning.
Step 3: One by one work with the kids to build the body. The two steps that they kids had a hard time with were making the eyes and putting the legs on the loom but otherwise they did it all by themselves!
Weave your body closed and your octopus is done! Crafting in English with the Elasticolor loom is a great addition to the FunLab Language through Art project. Try it out!
have fun
Alison
No Comments