Meat Tray Sewing

I had an absorbing task to do the other day (finishing a painting for a friend's little girl) and I needed to sew some detail onto it. Now, Eden likes to copy everything I do so normally I'd wait until she was asleep to do this. This time, however, I had a different approach: teaching Eden how to sew!

I grabbed a meat tray (side note: keep your meat trays, they're so handy and they make the best paint palettes) and punched a few holes through it with a skewer. Then I threaded a wool needle with some red yarn, tied it off, and handed it to my lil girl. Look at this:

Obviously, this activity introduces sewing to your child, and is great for developing their focus and fine motor skills. I've got so many ideas for activities once she has mastered the meat tray, so we'll be pulling this one out regularly to help her develop those skills.

Eden preferred to sew one way only (front to back) which is why the stitches are not flat on the tray, but that's ok! She's just learning. When I set this up next time, I'll be giving her longer string ('cause it didn't last long)!

The finished product!

Depending on your child's dexterity, you could always offer penne pasta or some buttons to add a bit of bling, but I'm pretty proud of my little E. - she's not even three years old yet! This one's going in the memory box...
Click here if you want to see the Play Time challenge which inspired this activity.