This week’s Discover & Explore theme is “Indoor Games and Play,” and I wanted to share one of our favorite diversions when stuck inside due to crummy weather…music time! Music is a big part of our day at the Twodaloo house, and we are known to have an impromptu toddler jam session/crazy dance party at the drop of a hat. Recently I made rainbow (of course) jingle bell ankle bracelets with dyed wooden beads to encourage stomping, dancing, and downright silliness while listening to our favorite tunes. And I must say, it worked!
To make your own jingle bell ankle bracelets, you will need the following (Amazon affiliate links included for reference):
- Jingle bells
(we used silver) - Elastic cord
- Unfinished wooden beads
(we used two different sizes- I linked to a bag that has a neat assortment of shapes and sizes- lots of possibilities- but I got our supplies at a local craft store)
If you want to dye your beads, you will need some liquid watercolors. And if you don’t have any yet, you will thank me 1,000 times for making you buy them. SO many uses, people. SO many. If you are interested in purchasing them, HERE
is a good basic set (Amazon affiliate link). I’ve had the same set since June and have used them for so many things! Or, if you want to try them but spend less, I just found this sample kit
on Amazon today- the bottles are only 1 oz but it would be enough for several projects or painting sessions and less than $15.
To dye my beads, I simply put a few beads in the bottom of a cup, squirted liquid watercolors on top of them, and swirled them around for a minute or so until they were the color I wanted. (Slightly older kids than mine could definitely help with this step.) Then I fished them out and let them dry on paper towels. BEAUTIFUL.
*One important thing to note- these beads are not sealed, so if they get wet some of the color will probably bleed. SO if you have a mouther, beware (although they shouldn’t be mouthing beads of this size and/or jingle bells, obviously), or if you plan on letting them stomp in puddles wearing this anklet, make them wear black pants 😉 Otherwise, we’ve been wearing them around the house for days now, and no color has rubbed off on skin or clothing. Just keep ’em dry and you’ll be a-ok.
After your beads are dry, measure a piece of elastic to fit around your child’s ankle and string your beads and bells on in whatever pattern you choose. As you can see from the photo, we did two big beads, a small bead, a bell, and then a small bead again, and then repeated the pattern. It’s neat because that pattern turned the bracelets into triangles when they aren’t being worn. Tie your elastic off, and you’re all set to stomp and dance and run!
Side note- do you know how HARD it was to get a photo of both bracelets on the twins at the same time? I took about 20 and got ONE that worked (see above). The rest, well, turned out less-than-optimal. See photo below.
I guess that’s a great endorsement for the project, eh? The kids just can’t help but tap their toes when wearing these little ankle bracelets!
And now, it’s your turn. We’d love for you to share how you Discover and Explore: Indoor Games and Play!
Please read the following guidelines for sharing:
- Share family-friendly posts related to the weekly topic — kids activities, book activities, crafts, recipes, nature outings, free printables–anything that might be helpful to those wanting to put together activities based on this week’s theme
- By linking up, you are giving me permission to share your post including one photo in our weekly feature post and on social media channels.
- Visit 2-3 other posts that have linked up, find some new ideas & meet new friends!
- If you are linking up, please be sure to link back with the Discover and Explore button or a text link to help us get the word out and built our collection of resources to share with you!
The linky will remain open for a week. Then all co-hosts will feature activities in a separate post on Fridays and share featured posts on the Discover and Explore Pinterest Board. If you aren’t already, please remember to follow us so you’re sure not to miss those feature posts. And don’t forget to stop by and visit my lovely co-hosts to see what they are sharing for this week’s theme!
KCEdventures * Fantastic Fun and Learning
Teach Preschool * Buggy and Buddy
These are gorgeous! I love the bright colors. How fun!
Thanks, Lauren! We have had so much fun with these!
These look nice- I like all the bright colors- and they would be easy to make