5 Educational Benefits That Make Rainbow Loom More than Your Average Toy

Date Posted:15 August 2014

Rainbow Loom - Addictive or Educational?

Safe to say that Rainbow Loom has taken off all over the world. Rarely do we see a product primarily marketed at children come on so strong and remain relevant for so long , even grown-ups are hooked. Despite (or perhaps because of) being highly addictive and providing hours of fun for people of all ages, the Rainbow Loom products have had their share of critics. Various schools have banned Rainbow Loom completely due to excessive trading of bands and children becoming all but obsessed. This can lead to competitiveness and in some cases may have resulted in bullying.

The same has been seen in schools throughout the years when various collectables were in vogue. Pokemon Cards, Tazos, Yo-Yos and many more had the potential to lead to this. Like all good and entertaining things in life, Rainbow Loom is best enjoyed in moderation. When it is consuming a child or adult's life and resulting in a change of behaviour, certain measures should be taken. In essence, Rainbow Loom allows for a creative, satisfying pastime that children and adults can enjoy with friends or alone.

Despite there being .01% of cases where a person' s love for Rainbow Loom might cause problems, in most cases it actually has numerous benefits for kids, in particular:

1. Creativity

This is probably the most obvious benefit of Rainbow Loom. If you’ve seen some of the designs children have come up with, you’ll understand. Studies show that creativity is something that can be encouraged and developed in young children, rather than an inborn talent.

2. Patience

Kids nowadays have an extremely short attention span. While in previous generations children could have hours of fun playing in the backyard, children today are exposed to highly stimulating entertainment wherever they go. Rainbow Loom however, seems to be quite the opposite. It is an activity that becomes enjoyable after some time and effort is put in, and can teach children the values of persistence and patience.

3. Confidence

Building confidence in kids is obviously hugely important in their development. Getting them involved in things like sport, learning a musical instrument and various other hobbies are a proven way of doing so as they give children a sense of accomplishment and achievement. Rainbow Loom also has this aspect to it. Working to achieve something and succeeding builds up self-esteem in a way that other forms of entertainment do not. Creating an intricately put-together wrist band is one such example.

4. Following Instructions

This is an important skill to develop as it can help them in school and academic challenges. Creating loom bands requires children to follow directions closely. Without a bit of direction and focus, it’s difficult to get started. Being able to follow directions step-by-step is an important life skill and develops comprehension skills and concentration.

5. Fine Motor Skills

Hooking, wrapping and looping Rainbow Loom takes time and patience, but it also requires hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. Experts in children’s health have pointed to this pastime as promoting things like cognitive skills, hand strength and visual perception.