High Maintenance Mom

The older kids in preschool have been making patterns with beads that stick together when ironed. They made mobiles out of the fun shapes that hang in the entryway for all the kids to admire on their way into and out of the building. B really wanted to try. A friend had several pegboards and at the beginning of the year B put a few beads on before wanting to do something else. Now, at the end of the year, he's more interested in placing the beads and working from patterns. It's still slow going and a lot of work but he's very proud of his creations, especially when his brother doesn't interfere...

Hama, or Perler, beads come in three sizes, the super small (2.5 mm diameter) for older kids and adults who want to do something that looks like a plastic cross stitch, medium (5 mm diameter), which are the easiest ones to find and fit the basic pegboards, and large (10 mm diameter) for younger kids. The large ones can be used without a pegboard.

Working with the beads on the pegboards helps develop several skills including hand-eye coordination, small motor skills, attention to detail (the beads have to touch to stick together when ironed and there can also be patterns to follow), and pre-math pattern building.

They're also fun to do and you can make lots of interesting designs. The original beads were created in 1971 in Denmark and are called Hama beads after Malte Haaning, the founder of Malte Haaning Plastic A/S. In the US they are sold as Perler beads. Both companies also have kits for creating jewelry.

I recommend the kits as gifts for kids ages 4.5 and up. To start, explain how the beads need to touch in order to stay together and try to focus on small designs (5-30 beads) until the beader is comfortable moving the small beads around. Perler has a design gallery where you can download designs and submit your own to win a prize.