After doing a little bit of research, I discovered a quick and easy way to make a loom. I wanted the students to experience actual weaving, but I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on those little pot holder looms, and it seemed like a lot of trouble to drive jillions of tiny nails into frames. So, I asked two of the high school gentlemen to nail two by fours together, and--walla!--we have thirty mini-looms.
All of the students third grade and up are diligently weaving and enjoying it at least somewhat (some more than others). I tied this into our history class about the Industrial Revolution: “Can you imagine carding all the wool, making your own yarn, and then weaving into cloth like this to make clothes?”
A few years ago one of the students asked my husband, “Do we really have to do art? Can we just go outside and play?” Now they ask us, “May I please go and work on my art?” How wonderful to a teacher’s ears!
