Royal Cardboard Cuff

Ages:: Preschoolers (3 to 5), School age (6+)
Play time:: 15 to 20 minutes
Setup:: 5 minutes
Where:: Table

Why it helps

This activity helps your child practice using both hands together. By holding the tube and threading yarn, they build focus and hand-eye coordination. It is a fun way to create jewelry while working on the small muscles used for writing.

Steps

Help your child cut a paper roll into two or three wide rings, each about two fingers wide. Use one ring for each cuff.
Cut one ring open with a single straight snip from edge to edge, so it can open like a C and slip onto the wrist.
Let your child decorate the ring with markers.
Ask your child to punch four to six holes along the edges of the ring with the hole puncher.
Cut a piece of yarn about an arm's length long. Wrap masking tape around one end to make a stiff tip, and tie the other end through the first hole.
Ask your child to thread the yarn in and out of the holes, adding a bead between holes. Leave the slit open.
Tie off the yarn at the last hole. Gently open the cuff at the slit and slip it onto your child's wrist.

Safety tip: Beads are a choking risk, so stay close and count them after play. Help with the scissors on the roll, and keep the cuff loose on the wrist.

Make it easier

Flatten the roll and cut the rings yourself, then let your child punch, decorate, and lace.
Punch just four holes, spaced far apart, so there are fewer to thread.
Lay the ring on its side on the table so it stays still while your child threads.

Make it harder

Add beads in a repeating pattern, like two small and one big, all the way around.
Lace the yarn in and out of the holes so it crisscrosses over the outside of the cuff.
Let your child punch the holes and tie the starting knot without help.

What to watch for

Notice whether your child turns the ring with the helper hand as they move from hole to hole.
Watch how your child squeezes the hole punch. Using both hands or pressing it against the table are fine ways to get through cardboard.
If the finished cuff feels scratchy on the wrist, line the inside with a strip of tape or wear it over a sleeve.