Thursday 7 August 2014

Loom bands

The loom band craze has arrived at our house.

We have the starter kit, sets of coloured bands, and daughter has been given strict instructions not to leave them anywhere the puppy can get hold of them.  I've already heard of a friend's dog who 'passed' loom bands, producing a multi-coloured 'offering' for collection.  Not pleasant, and not to be repeated!

For the uninitiated, loom bands are small rubber bands which you can weave together to make friendship bracelets - or even a dress as one enterprising young girl from Desborough did.

The manufacturers must have known they'd got a hit on their hands when schools start banning them.

My daughter's school did in the summer term when there were numerous arguments and fallings out over who owned which loom band bracelet.

Despite the ban, on my way into an assembly at school there was a trail of loom bands, reminding me of a modern-day version of the breadcrumb trail in Hansel and Gretel.

A parent was picking them up, and I thought to myself what a great citizen he was, caring for the environment and making sure birds didn't choke on them, etc.  As he then pocketed them, he announced he'd be making his own bracelet when he got home - and I don't think he was joking!

There have of course been the inevitable horror stories in the press, of the child who got hit in the eye, and the other one who fell asleep with one wrapped around his fingers, cutting off his circulation.  Several people noted that his parents took the photo first before removing the offending article - surely it should be safety first, not photo first!

But generally, most kids seem to play quite happily with them and are being creative.

It also means they're not plugged into one of the multitude of electrical gadgets they own these days - you can't simultaneously weave loom bands and play on a games console or send texts, unless you know otherwise?  Now there's a challenge for the school summer holidays!

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