6 Benefits That Children Experience from Knitting
Have you taught a child how to knit? Maybe you taught your own children/nieces/nephews, your friends’ children, at a school, a daycare, or maybe you volunteered at an after-school program. If you’ve had this experience, then I’m sure you’ve seen just how beneficial it can be to get yarn and knitting needles into those little hands. Montessori schools teach children how to knit from a young age, so they learn how to focus better; they learn patience and self-soothing techniques. It would be amazing if more schools could integrate this valuable skill to children.
Check out these 6 benefits of children knitting that may surprise you.
Mathematical Skills
Counting stitches, counting rows, adding stitches, working the math of gauge — these are all techniques in knitting that help you and the little ones improve math skills. With any knit, kids will build on their techniques in multiplying, adding, measuring, etc. This is a great way to help children develop a love for math, without them even knowing.
Problem Solving
As we all know, knitting requires following instructions, reading, and troubleshooting, all components of problem-solving. For any child, these are great traits for them to develop. Of course, mistakes happen in knitting, and these mishaps provide a great learning opportunity for your child to discover how the mistake occurred and how to fix it.
Breaks the Need for Perfection
We all make mistakes in knitting. When you learn from an early age that it’s about the journey not the destination, you become a happier adult. Kids need to be taught that it’s okay to NOT be perfect. When kids can create an imperfect product and still love it because they made it, their confidence level goes through the roof.
Motor Coordination
Knitting requires a high level of hand-eye coordination and precision. For the child, this activity will improve their ability to coordinate between what they can see and what they can do, similar to sports. Getting a handle on their hand-eye coordination is a great bonus for their development. Kid’s make a huge developmental leap in motor skills between six and seven so that’s a great age to start.
Encouraging Creativity
Knitting is obviously a great outlet to get children’s creative juices flowing, enhancing their creativity in a very simple way. It’s as easy as having them participate at every point of the project — from what type of fiber and color they choose, to the type of garment or stitch they would like to knit. It’s fine to give a kid some guidelines to follow, but let them take the lead and I guarantee they will surprise you!
Teaches Patience
As the saying goes, “patience is a virtue” and what better way is there to teach children this truth than with knitting? We all know the excitement we feel when finishing a project; sharing this experience with kids will not only establish a sense of patience but also a sense of achievement.
These are just a few benefits that children may experience from knitting, but there are tons more! One benefit I didn’t mention is that creating a project together can easily become a touchstone of their childhood memories. Not to mention, the finished project will be a tangible item of that great time in their life!
Looking to advance your knitting skills? Visit my YouTube page, I share tons of tutorials that will help guide you through your knitting journey. These tutorials aren’t aimed at kids. However, as they mature into seasoned knitters, they may become useful sooner than you think.
I am grateful I learned to knit when I was 11 years old. I am wondering if there is a pattern for the hats and cowls in your picture for this blog post. They are beautiful.
Waldorf schools teach knitting as part of their curriculum, as well. My daughter is a Waldorf teacher.
That’s so great!