Kumihimo for Kids

I taught Kumihimo classes for kids over the school holiday. Kumihimo is a Japanese braiding technique that is easy to learn and appeals to kids and adults alike. The classes were well attended by a range of ages that made it really fun, and challenged me to adapt my instructions on the fly! Although the minimum age suggested was 8 years old, a couple of 7-year-old boys snuck in. Self-assured in their desire to learn the technique, the boys swaggered in with their Kumihimo disks in hand. It didn’t bother them that they were the only two boys in the class – or that all the girls in the class were older than them. I admired their self-confidence as one of the boys said, “Oh, this is easy, I know how to do this.” And that was before we even started!

I’m smiling as I sit here thinking about how quickly all the kids caught on. I only had to give a couple of reminders about which hand is left and right - which I sometimes have to do at my adult classes! All the kids made more than one Kumihimo keychain to take with them, and the two boys were braiding as they walked out of the store! Thanks for sharing your kids with me – they made my day!