Beads for Kid Projects

These kits have been popular for awhile.

http://www.amazon.com/Shimmer-Sparkle-Cra-Z-Loom-Bracelet...

I've never got a bead kit for anyone unless I really don't like their parents.
The beads get EVERYWHERE - they bounce, are hard to handle (and thread), kids eat them - and some kids get bored with them quickly.
I'd be careful especially as many 5 yr olds don't have the manual dexterity to work with them very well and they'll get very frustrated.
When they can write well (like 7 or 8 yrs old) THEN they are ready for beads.
At least with the little rubber bands, they aren't as bad as beads.
Kids learn to make bracelets quickly with them.

Beads with an infant in the house? Hmmmmmm . . . I wouldn't do it. There are so many other craft ideas out there that are less, well, beads.

Michaels has some great kits for kids. They also have just beads so he can do what he wants. If you go to Michaels.com and look for coupons, they have one for 40% off one item (Spring40316) or 20% off entire purchase (20April6pm) this can really save the money with multiple items. My daughter has always liked the bead items they sell. I always check to see the difficulty with the supplies they include before choosing one. Oriental Trading Company also has a bead selection.

I just want to say, be sure YOU make sure all of the beads are picked up. You would be amazed at how many you will find on the floor after you thought you carefully picked them all up. You have a baby who will be crawling soon. IMHO, this is not the right time to buy things like beads.

Depends on his dexterity. Can he handle small plastic beads and threading? If so, these kits that have it all (this one's from Toys R Us) are a good way to get started: (say ages 6 up)

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=285356...

I tend to get big bottles/bags of them - like these cans:

http://www.amazon.com/One-Pound-Darice-Pony-Beads/dp/B002...

But if he's still too young to thread small beads, you can get those Melissa and Doug wooden sets at Toys R Us or Amazon too. The thread is usually thicker and holes wider to thread the beads. We started with big beads and almost laces for the little ones.

Good luck :)

Most bead kits are the same for that age group. If you can't get to a Michael's, I would think any bead set you would find on Amazon would work. Have fun - I always loved those things with the kids!

Melissa & Doug make good wooden beads. Yes, they hurt when you step on them but they make nice necklaces and bracelets and have designs and letters!

Give Oriental Trading a try, too!

Hi F.,

Google is your friend.....Just make sure the sets are age appropriate and if you have smaller ones than your 5 year old, which I could swear you do...make sure that it comes with a storage container that you can snap shut and keep out of reach for any little ones. If they got into it, it could cause a safety issue.

Have fun!!! I remember those little bonding sessions fondly....These days it's nothing but video games and dungeons & dragons....still the best one ever though!!! :-) S.