You can teach your kids a simple crochet stitch and they will soon be able to make lots of fun stuff out of yarn, from baby doll blankets to friendship bracelets. Both of my grandmother’s crocheted and each took turns teaching me.
Start by choosing a medium sized crochet hook. You don’t need to be real particular here, since your kids will have an easier time handling a larger hook. Choose a medium weight yarn. Tie the yarn around the widest part of the crochet hook to form a snug loop. Wrap the hook around the loose yarn and pull it through the loop. Continue this process until you have a crocheted string the length you want.
Turn the hook and push it through the second hole from the end. Reach up and grab some yarn, pulling it back through the hole. You will now have two loops on the hook. Grab some more loose yarn, wrap it around the hook, and pull it through the two loops. Continue this process until you reach the opposite end.
When you get to the end, wrap yarn around the hook and pull through, creating one loose stitch. Then, turn the string around and reach through the second hole from the end. Continue as described above.
You will only need about two rows of stitches to create a bracelet (pull the stitches tight). For other projects, make as many rows as you like, and don’t worry about pulling them as tight. Try to keep them even, and count the stitches as you go, so you’ll have the same number in each row.
NOTE: I tried to take pictures of each step, but they didn’t show enough detail as I couldn’t zoom in enough (above), so I thought these pages might be helpful (with pictures).