Weaving is an art form that lends itself remarkably well to an outdoor context. The opportunity to weave using natural materials or artificial materials on a bigger scale indoors is exciting. There is freedom and space to behold! Big impromptu weaving moments are usually group affairs where children end up working together in the knowledge that something special is happening.
Next, there is a lot of coordination required to develop the skill of weaving. So thinking about the spacing needed can be helpful as well as a choice of materials. At the Ananda Marga River Pre-school, the approach is very much down to the children’s motivation. There’s a table where wool is available and long twigs. It’s up to the children to decide if they want to create any structures and what these will be.
Anything long can be used for weaving including string, wool, rope, cord, old bandages, long grass and plant stem, bendy sticks, fleece, old plastic torn into strips, foil, cellophane, strips of old material, wire, pipe cleaners and so on. It’s a great way to use up resources that have been lost for years in cupboards. The variety of textures, the pliability of the materials, and the details of each piece are all talking points.