Whoo hoo!
I’ve just taught spinning to 3 and 4 year olds!
It’s Art Week at the children’s school, so I offered to do something – and was asked for something for the nursery class.
So I took my wheel (it’s a little odd to carry a spinning wheel along the road tucked under your arm, but no-one commented) and some fibre.
They loved the wheel – most of them managed the idea that looking is done with your eyes and not your fingers… And no-one could find anything sharp to prick their fingers on to make them sleep for 100 years.* One boy was convinced that it was the wheel from a pirates’ ship, and wanted to know where the telescope was. (One of the things I really do like about that age group is that when they ask that sort of question, it’s genuine, they’re not trying to be funny.)
Then I made them all wiggly worms: take a small sliver – show that if you pull the ends, it comes apart. Then put some twist in – pull it again – it doesn’t come apart so easily. Twist some more, fold it in half, (so it plies back on itself), stick googly eyes on each side – and there you have a wiggly worm:
(prototype – I didn’t have any googly eyes at home 
)
*It always bugs me – exactly HOW did Sleeping Beauty prick her finger on a spindle? I have a spindle, I have a wheel – there are no pointy bits for finger-pricking on either of them.
six comments:
Well done you! It’s rewarding, isn’t it? I’m accompanying Ciara’s Brownie pack on a couple of nature trips (RSPB Field Teacher on hand!), but I don’t expect that to be so fun, or innocent!Louise () (link) - 06 June '08 - 16:31
Lovely! You should hire yourself out nationwide!Big Ruth - 06 June '08 - 17:48
I’m pretty sure the spindle was the sharpest thing in that room. Poor Sleeping Beauty.Lou () - 06 June '08 - 21:24
Excellent idea! I might have to steal it for the Brownies… And how come i get funny looks just walking down the road, when you don’t get funny looks walking down the road with a spinning wheel?!Daisy () (link) - 08 June '08 - 22:39
I adore those wriggly worms.As for Sleeping Beauty, I’ve always assumed that it was a distaff she pricked her finger on. I love/hate all the gendered ways spinning has come into the language (spinster, on the distaff side) and felt the theme was a rather brilliant subtext in William Gibson’s Neuromancer.
rosie () (link) - 12 June '08 - 21:53
Great wheels and other spindle wheels DO have sharp spindles.Adele Marano () - 17 July '08 - 22:39
