Camp Mom: Friendship Bracelets

Another beloved activity of my childhood summers were friendship bracelets.   In the pool, in the shower, in bed at night… we wore them until they broke & fell off.

This activity can be done with just one child, but it’s more fun to do it with several.  We did this activity when we were visiting with friends over the 4th of July holiday. We had five kids and our only rule was that each child made a bracelet for each of the other children.

Supplies/Set up:

You’ll need a variety of beads & something to string them on.  I picked up a few bead packs from Michael’s that included round beads, hearts, and letters, as well as a few spools of stretchy cord.  The stretchiness is nice if you want to be able to take them on & off, but you could also use cord, ribbon, or string.

My friend had these great sectioned lunch trays which were perfect for sorting the beads & giving each child their own set.  You could use ramekins, bowls or cups as well.

For our children, ages 6-8, learning to spell each other’s was a fun learning experience, as wells as working with patterns & designs.  For smaller children this would be a great hand/eye activity, as well as practice with colors, counting & patterns.

Our kids found it easiest to lay out their beads in order first & then string them on the bracelet.  This is something they came to on their own.  I encourage you to let your little ones figure out their best way…. it’s part of the fun!

The moms helped in the end by tying a square knot & putting a dot of glue on the knot to help it remain secured.  Older children could do this on their own.

The kids had a lot of fun & loved their bracelets.  Brayden has been wearing his since.  I even got one made for me that says “Camp Mom” that I have been wearing everyday!

Tara is the mother of a funny, charming and extremely handsome 6 year boy.  She is revamping Tara’s Kitchen Sink a bit and getting ready to bring her readers a little bit of everything.  Make sure to follow her when you’re there… you won’t want to miss any of the brilliant things she has to say!