This Cheerio necklace helps toddlers improve their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. It also provides entertainment and a snack.
Benefits Of Making A Cheerio Necklace
There are several benefits your toddler will get by making this Cheerio necklace.
- First, it will work on their hand-eye coordination. Hand-eye coordination is necessary for skills like cutting with scissors or writing, making it an important skill for toddlers to master. Putting the string through the middle of the cereal works on hand-eye coordination.
- Stringing the cereal also works on a toddler’s fine motor skills. Fine motor skills are also necessary for cutting and writing. They are also needed for tasks like zipping or buttoning. Again, the simple motion of putting the string through the middle of the cereal also works on their fine motor skills.
- This task also helps improve their ability to focus and concentrate. Working on one task and doing it repeatedly is a good way to improve their focus and concentration.
What Do I Need?
You will need just a few items for this activity.
- A string – I used dental floss, but any small string will work. You can use twine, ribbon, or a thin shoelace.
- Scissors – To cut the string.
- Cheerios – Or any cereal with a hole in it. Fruit loops or apple jacks work a little better because they are a little bigger than Cheerios. We stuck to Cheerios to avoid the food dyes and extra sugar, but they are an option.
- Tape – You need tape to tape the end of the string to the table so that the Cheerios don’t fall off the other end while your toddler is making it.
How To Make A Cheerio Necklace
- First, cut the string long enough so that when it is tied it will slip over your toddler’s head easily.
- Then, tape one end of the string to a table or the floor so that the Cheerios won’t fall off the other end as the toddler is stringing them.
- Place the Cheerios either in a bowl or just on the table next to the string.
- Show your toddler how to put the string through the center of the Cheerio and string it on.
- Let your toddler string the Cheerios. You can help guide their hands if need be, but it is best to let them figure it out themselves, even if they seem to be struggling. Struggling a little bit is often how they learn.
- After they have filled the string with Cheerios, un-tape it from the table and tie the two ends together to make a necklace.
Note: If the string is bending too much and they can’t get it through the center of the Cheerio very well, you can take a piece of tape and wrap it around the end of the string to make it stiffer.
Ways To Use A Cheerio Necklace
You can use this Cheerio necklace in many different ways. While making it with your toddler you can work on counting the cheerios. Or, if you are using fruit loops you can talk about the colors and have them work on getting the color fruit loop you ask them to.
This necklace can also be used as an on-the-go snack. If you string up several of them you can keep them in individual bags and grab one when you are going somewhere and need a snack that is contained.
But, even if you don’t do any of those things, it is still a fun project that most toddlers enjoy doing.
Don’t be disappointed if they don’t string a whole necklace. My toddler only strung about 5 before she started eating them and no more ended up on the string. Doing it when they are hungry might not be the best idea.
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