Tapestry of Faith: Wonderful Welcome: A Program for Children Grades K-1

Activity 4: Learning To Weave Wool

Activity time: 20 minutes

Materials for Activity

  • For each participant
    • Four pieces of yarn, each one 36" long
    • Four drinking straws
    • A ball of yarn
    • A piece of stiff cardboard, at least the size of an index card
  • Extra yarn
  • Scissors
  • A copy of Leader Resource 2, Wool-weaving Illustration

Preparation for Activity

  • Make sure you understand instructions for the craft, which comes from the book, Animal Crackers (page 37, "Wool Weaving"), available from Heifer International. Leader Resource 2, Wool-weaving Illustration, shows how to set up each weaving station.
  • Identify a doorknob, chair arm, hook, or similar place for each child to attach their weaving. Make sure every child will have a place to sit comfortably and weave.

Description of Activity

In this activity, the children have to learn together in order to achieve a group goal - to finish their woven belts. This craft requires different kinds of skills at which different children excel, such as fine motor, perseverance, neatness, understanding (or giving) spoken directions and demonstration, and creativity. As a group, the children will succeed (that is, all finish) when they pool their knowledge and skill.

Give each child four pieces of yarn, four straws, a ball of yarn and a cardboard "shuttle." Help them set up a weaving workspace. Refer to Leader Resource 2 for instructions and a demonstration for the children to:

  • Thread each of their four pieces of yarn through a straw and divide yarn in pairs.
  • Knot pairs together and loop both pairs over a doorknob or hook.
  • Push all the straws against the knot.To anchor, wrap the loose yarn ends around the slit cardboard.
  • Wind ball of yarn onto cardboard shuttle; weave over and under on straws until they are covered.
  • Push weaving away from you; pull straws toward you.

Guide the children to continue until their woven piece is long enough to make a belt. Help them remove the straws and knot the yarn ends.