15 October, 2008

beanbags...

we've been enjoying some play and exercises with beanbags lately. singing or saying verses as we toss the bags back and forth. they are perfect for encouraging rhythm, hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness. our movements being a mixture of purposeful large and small gestures to develop fine and gross motor skills. which, in the waldorf pedagogy, are considered the foundation for writing and reading. balance is also an important pre-literary skill, and maya is especially loving the challenge of balancing a beanbag on her head while walking.

i made these little bean bags years ago using some cloth we had dyed in the kindergarten. i used dried navy beans to fill them.  and then colorful embroidery thread, using the blanket stitch, to sew the seams. i loved the way they turned out and they are still holding up just fine after years of play.



yours in beanbag fun,

shelley

11 comments:

Grace said...

they are so pretty!!

waldorfmama said...

thanks, grace. :)

Kimberley said...

I made some like that with left over fabric...and I sewed in some ribbon "streamers" they really fly through the air! I also mixed beans with wool roving to make them full...it was rather impromptu, but now my kids love them! I love your colors...so soft and lovely.
Kim

Stacy said...

You are giving me ideas...

Pina said...

I love these, they are so pretty. Such beautiful colors!

Anonymous said...

your homes photos give me ideas and softness!i wish you give us many other pictures from your beautifull house!

Anonymous said...

...sorry,my name is Chiara:)

denise said...

I love how soft they look. Beautiful!

Mama Randa Morning Glory said...

I love the soft pastel colors. I made beanbags just a couple of weeks ago. I love kimberly's idea of attaching streamers!

waldorfmama said...

oh yes, great idea kimberley. and thanks everyone!

Nikki said...

Beautiful! I'm a few years late, but I had to comment on this post. It makes me so happy that you spoke about motor skills being related to literacy skills. This is something I've seen first hand as a kindergarten teacher. I've noticed that children who can take steps with alternating feet are often ready to read. Those who must use both feet on each step are not. How children play with blocks is also a huge clue as well. It's quite interesting how it all connects! Thank you for sharing this.