The backgrounds of some of the pictures below are actual pieces of artwork created by the children at the University of Delaware Laboratory Preschool. Their beautiful paintings inspired some of the jewelry you see in this collection.
There is a special place in my heart for children. My Bachelor's Degree is from the University of Delaware in Early Childhood Development and Education. Working with children, as a teacher, a special needs coordinator for children with disabilities and a child development center director, was an experience in all of the wonders of childhood. A child's vision of the world is ever-surprising and delightful. This collection is dear to my heart and dedicated to all of the young children who have made wonderful impressions on my world.
Swim Little Fish These adorable and colorful little fish are great for children who enjoy the delightful time watching fish swim. This is for the children who take care of Goldfish, Betta fish or just love to watch fish at the aquarium or the pet store. Bright colors accent this great addition to your little one's collection.
Cost: $9.00
Teddy Bear Teddy Bear
Do you remember your first teddy bears? Were they soft and cuddly and great to snuggle with as you fell off to sleep? Kids of all ages love their teddy bears. These bears are colorful and positioned in a simple pattern. Great for counting and color recognition for little ones.
Butterfly Kisses This is the child sized version of the piece by the same name on the Bracelets , Necklaces and Other Treasures page. A little boy was playing outdoors and found a fascinating caterpillar. He carefully picked it up and took it home to show his mother. He asked his mother if he could keep it, and she said he could if he would take good care of it.
The little boy got a large jar from his mother and put plants to eat, and a stick to climb on, in the jar. Every day he watched the caterpillar and brought it new plants to eat.
One day the caterpillar climbed up the stick and started acting strangely. The boy worriedly called his mother who came and understood that the caterpillar was creating a cocoon. The mother explained to the boy how the caterpillar was going to go through a metamorphosis and become a butterfly.
The little boy was thrilled to hear about the changes his caterpillar would go through. He watched every day, waiting for the butterfly to emerge. One day, a small hole appeared in the cocoon and the butterfly started to struggle to come out of it.
At first the boy was excited, but soon he became concerned. The butterfly was struggling so hard! It looked like it could not break free! It looked desperate! It looked like it was making no progress!
The boy was so concerned he decided to help. He ran to get scissors, and then walked back (because he had learned not to run with scissors…). He snipped the cocoon to make the hole bigger and the butterfly quickly emerged!
As the butterfly came out the boy was surprised. It had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. He continued to watch the butterfly expecting that, at any moment, the wings would dry out, enlarge and expand to support the swollen body. He knew that in time the body would shrink and the butterfly’s wings would expand. But neither happened!
The butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly…
As the boy tried to figure out what had gone wrong his mother took him to talk to a scientist from a local college. He learned that the butterfly was SUPPOSED to struggle. In fact, the butterfly’s struggle to push its way through the tiny opening of the cocoon pushes the fluid out of its body and into its wings. Without the struggle, the butterfly would never, ever fly. The boy’s good intentions hurt the butterfly.
More Butterfly Kisses These designs are great for talking about caterpillars and their transformation. A favorite children's author of mine, Eric Carle, has a wonderful story, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, that many children adore. They can create their own story about how the butterflies on their bracelet transformed from caterpillars, draw pictures or create their own butterfly wings. Cost: $11.00
Chasing Dragonflies Dragonflies are so fast as they fly from flower to flower around the yard. Chasing them is a favorite among children. What color flowers do you see along the flight of the dragonfly? How many dragonflies do you see? How fast do they fly? Can you fly like a dragonfly? Children will have so many stories to tell as they wear this bracelet with dragonflies fluttering around their wrists. This piece matches the version seen on the Bracelets and Necklaces page.
Cost: $11.00
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Once Upon a Time When children hear the words Once Upon a Time, they know that they are going to hear a wonderful story. Why not make it a story of their telling with this bright and colorful bracelet. Begin a story with Once Upon a Time and ask each family member to add to the story one at a time. These imaginative stories put together by children and their families and friends will create lasting memories. They will love to wear their special Once Upon a Time bracelet as a reminder to always use their imaginations. Happy story telling! Cost: $9.00
This Is Me Recognizing their name in print is a discovery a child enjoys so much. A name is a representation of who we are when we are children. Whether just learning to recognize their name in print, working on sight words, or reading themselves, name bracelets are fun for children of all ages. Great to order for gift bags when having a party for children or sharing as gifts from one child to another.
Cost $4.00
