Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Biggie Fuse Beads

I bought a bucket of these a couple of months ago and put them out on M’s shelves as a fine motor activity.  He is crazy about them!  We also bought the set of two clear plastic pegboards, and he places the beads on the little pegs.  Once he’s made  a design he likes, I iron it for him (with the included ironing paper) and they melt together.  I’m sure most of you have seen the mini version of this for older kids, but the Biggie version is a great way to start those little fingers out!

At first M made his own designs, like these:art box (3)Going clockwise from the top – a square, ,a wagon, a truck, and dragon bones. :)

But just recently he became interested in using the patterns that came with the peg boards.  Then we found more patterns for them here, which was very exciting, and I was told to print them all out. :)  *Note: the patterns for Biggie Beads start at the bottom of the page that I’ve linked to

His collection so far:july and august 2010 027Honestly, I think that photo shows only part of what he’s made; we’ve gone through 2 buckets so far, but I’m not sure where he’s hoarding the rest of his creations.

This has ended up being a fantastic activity for him – it works those fine motor muscles in his hand, works on the all-important tripod grasp, has helped him develop some patience and perseverance as he sees each pattern to the end, matching up the beads just right to the pattern.  It has expanded his attention span also, and gives him a good sense of accomplishment and pride in a job completed.  Wow – all that from a bucket of beads! :) 

M will be 4 soon, and once we finish up our most recent bucket of Biggie Beads, I’ll see how he does with the smaller version. 

Is there a product out there that you and your child have fallen in love with?  Share it in the comments – I would love to find more great products like this!

Have a beautiful day! :)

10 comments:

  1. what fun! I bet my kids would love those!

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  2. My son is really into beads right now too!

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  3. Oh, that looks like so much fun! I might look into it for a birthday gift for Mike.

    Hmm...I think one of our biggest hits for toys was a tall stacking pegboard, but I that had its biggest appeal when Mike was a young 2. We're also big fans of the Kumon "Let's Cut" workbook right now.

    I think it's more helpful for me to read your ideas though, since your M is about a year older than my M - so reading your blog gives me good ideas for what's to come.

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  4. These sound like the perfect activity for my 4,5 year old son. The never ending hunt for Amazon stuff in the Netherlands continues...

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  5. Haven't tried these yet, but looks like we may need to! Thanks for sharing! Have a great day!

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  6. How fun! I didn't realize that they had bigger versions. I am going to try them. Thanks! Where did you buy them?

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  7. Oops, now I see the amazon link. Perfect!

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  8. Went out and bought these today because of your post. My 3.5 yr. old grandson loved them. We made the dino, the fish, and letters for the initials of is first and last name. I put magnets on the back so they can be on the fridge. What fun, thanks for sharing.

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  9. What a great job! We have these too & haven't used them yet. Looking at what you guys made inspires me to pull them out for my son to use! Thanks!

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  10. What a wonderful job he has been doing! I love the house! We might have to order some of these really soon!

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