Okay, I will admit that finding Rainbow Loom bands over every inch of the floor soon gets a tad annoying but overall we are a huge fan of Rainbow loom bands here. Both boys love making them and if I am totally honest, so do I.
As soon as one design is mastered Snaffles can not wait to make more of them for his friends.
Here are some of the added development benefits we have discovered Rainbow Loom bands are good for;
1. Math skills- loom bands have been great for developing the boys maths skills, pattern recognition and shapes. Similar can be said for colour recognition.
Munchie will count the bands out and group them by colour and Snaffles will work out various pattern combinations and calculate how many of each colour he will need.
2. Reading Instructions- knowing how to read instructions is a valuable life skill. Whether it's a Rainbow Loom pattern or Lego instructions this valuable skill will be a life saver when the children move out and need to build flat pack Ikea furniture.
Watching Snaffles interpreting the pattern and transferring it to the loom is lovely to watch. It is also encouraging me to allow him to have a little more computer access as he has been using YouTube to find new patterns/instructions to follow.
3. Building Relationships - I have noticed that Snaffles plays with some new children at playtime at school now. Names I hadn't heard mentioned before are suddenly heard daily. It seems new friendships have been made over Rainbow Loom bracelets.
4. Sharing - I generally do not allow Snaffles to take things to school. However, recently he has been returning home with Rainbow Loom bracelets. It seems that the children are sharing bands and skills. The older children have been teaching the younger ones how to make their looms bands during play times.
5. Determination and persistence - Rainbow Loom has taught Snaffles to try, try and try again. Part of the excitement of Rainbow Loom is the element of risk at the end when you peel your bands from your loom. The layering of the bands as you put them on the loom and the sequencing of hooking them can make or break your bracelet.
Many evenings have been spent watching Snaffles layer up a bracelet, hook all of the bands, only for it to fall apart as you remove it from the loom. However, instead of storming off in a sulk I have watched as Snaffles composes himself and starts again.
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© Denise Bell 2009-present