Homemade Lacing Cards

• Instead of buying store bought lacing cards, have the kids make their own. Lacing cards can be made out of foam animal cutouts, cardsock and cardboard. This craft can be easily incorporated into preschool curriculum, such as learning numbers and the alphabet. Cut large numbers or letters out of thick card stock. Help your child punch holes along the edge of the item with a hole punch. Kids can decorate the cards with stickers before lacing yarn or string through the holes.
  
  

Pasta necklaces

• Turn a box of rigatoni or penne pasta into a necklace with colorful paint and string. Penne or rigatoni makes for a good choice when making pasta necklaces as the tubular noodles are sturdy and have large enough holes for little fingers to lace yarn or string through. Get the kids to paint the uncooked pasta noodles in bright colors. Let dry. To make your pasta sparkle have the kids add dabs of glitter glue to some of the painted noodles. Ensure the pasta is completely dry before lacing them together with string. Tie the string with a knot to secure the necklace.
  
  

Holiday Garland

• Regardless of the holiday, have your children make their own garland that can be used to decorate the house. Lace icons made out of construction paper representing the holiday and drinking straws to make the garland. For Christmas, trace or draw pine trees, snowmen or stockings. Hearts can be used for Valentine's Day and ghosts for Halloween. Cut drinking straws in 2 inch pieces. Use a darning needle to poke holes through the center of the construction paper icons. Using a large piece of yarn or string, instruct the child to lace the icons and straws together.
  
  

Homemade Telephones

• An craft for older kids, lacing two paper cups with string make for toy telephones that can be used to amuse and entertain. With adult supervision, have children punch a hole through the bottom of two Styrofoam or paper cups with a darning needle. Cut a long piece of string about seven feet long. Tie a knot at each end of the string, about six inches from the tip. Lace the string through the holes before tying knots to secure the cups. Have the children make more telephones with varying lengths of string.
  
  

Safety

• Always use caution when letting children play with objects that contain string. String poses a strangulation risk, especially to young children. While your children may be old enough to wear necklaces and play with stringed toys, younger siblings -- including babies and toddlers -- could be put at risk if they were to get a hold of these objects. Adult supervision should always be used when letting children play and wear objects made of string.