Loom and Pom Pom Weavings

How many life-skills can you tie into one textile project?  I wanted to challenge my third grade students to problem solve and apply skills they would utilize again and again throughout their lives.  How?  By presenting them with a loom and a whole lot of yarn!  Students learned how to tie knots in  different ways,  fix knots in their work they didn't mean to create, stay detail oriented to the task of weaving over-under-over-under throughout their project, create interesting patterns and designs by weaving in different areas of their loom, and discovering how to recycle cardboard in order to create colorful pom-poms!  

Because of the variables with sizes of yarns, designs, and ability levels, it was a great exercise that enabled students to challenge themselves to see how sophisticated they could make their weaving.  

Most students came in during lunch recess on our coldest days to socialize and work on their weavings with their friends.  It created a great sense of community and they worked as a responsible third grade team to clean up after themselves before returning to class.  I have prepared a large "school wide" loom for students to work on either solo or with friends when their work is finished before the end of the class period.  They are currently on display by the gym and in our school lobby.