There is an entire segment of crafting that happens among 8-14 year-old kids which is completely foreign to adults. I hadn't even heard about Rainbow Loom bracelets until it showed up on a recent Buzzfeed article. (That's how you know it's a fad. Buzzfeed is the faddiest fad that ever fadded.)
Rainbow Loom is kind of like if friendship bracelets and Silly Bandz fell in love and had a baby. You make the bracelets out of small multi-colored rubber bands, which are woven together to form patterns. The patterns and color combinations are, like friendship bracelets, nearly infinite.
Unlike friendship bracelets made from embroidery floss, these bracelets are washable and won't rot off your wrist. And because they are stretchy, you don't have to worry about the fit. But I also feel like they might grab at your arm hair. Maybe you get used to it.
The process of making one on the Rainbow Loom is reminiscent of those potholders you make by weaving pre-made loops of sweatshirt cloth. It isn't particularly hard, but it takes a certain amount of fine motor skills to wield the hook, and concentration to make sure you're getting it over the right loops. Both of which are great skills for kids to hone.
Cash-wise, it requires an initial outlay of about $20 to buy the kit. Once you have the loom, you only need to buy more rubber bands. Rubber bands are $3 for a bag of 600, and while you will want to buy lots of bags to get all the colors, I expect that a lot of crafters end up swapping colors to help defray the cost.
The rubber bands are latex-free, which is a nice bonus. The hook and the bands themselves are a real choking hazard for small children, so kids with young siblings will need to be careful about their craft supplies. But overall, as far as kids' crafts go, I give this one an A+.
Image courtesy Flickr/The Facey Family
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