Kent City — If there’s one thing Mattie Corbett would like you to know about crocheting, it’s this:
“It’s very hard, but I would recommend not quitting because you don’t want to fail, and it’s actually really fun so you should maybe try it,” said the fourth-grader. “I felt like quitting when I first learned (how to crochet); but I discovered it’s fun to learn, and now I know how to do it. I would recommend it.”
Mattie and 19 of her peers in grades 3-5 joined Kent City Elementary’s first-ever Crochet Club this winter, an after-school class taught by Administrative Assistant Kayla Berli. The club is one of several afternoon options being offered throughout the year as part of a push by school leaders to get kids involved in extracurriculars, reduce screen time and expose them to new interests and hobbies.
Berli is known by the adults at KCE for her crocheting skills, but said she’d never considered teaching until Principal Pam Thomas approached her with the idea.
“My instant reaction was like, ‘I’m not a teacher, there’s no way,’” she said, “but I thought more about it, and I learned (how to crochet) from a friend’s mom when I was young so I knew (the kids) could do it. The idea of giving kids a creative outlet, something that they can do with their hands, sounded really fun. So I figured we could give it a trial run.”
And it turns out there was a lot of interest from the other side, too: Berli originally hoped to see 15 kids join the six-week club, but had to cap it at 20 with plans to consider offering more sessions for eager students in the future. She also received “tons and tons” of yarn donations from Kent City families, she said, to ensure they’d have enough material to work with.
Creativity as a Learning Tool
Most club members had zero experience with crochet, so they started with the basics, learning skills like the crochet stitch and the chain stitch, and then built on that progress. Their first project was to put together a single square of yarn using the crochet stitch; Berli then put everyone’s squares together in a small tapestry to celebrate their joint accomplishments.
“Some kids pick it up really quickly, and some need a little more work, but it’s great to see everyone get into it,” she said. “I want them to let go of any expectations of creating something perfect, and instead celebrate what they can do and learn.”
Beyond getting to be creative, Berli said learning to crochet teaches children things like how to overcome frustration, how to work through a challenge and how to handle comparisons with their peers as they watch a friend succeed or struggle with the task.
Crochet also offers mental health benefits, she said, in terms of mindfulness and reducing anxiety.
“I’ve seen it in my child — he’s a sensory kid and always has to be doing something with his hands. (Crocheting) offers an outlet for learning how to settle your mind. Once they get to the point where they can do it pretty well and feel confident, I think it could be really beneficial for our kids.”
Berli said she’s enjoyed getting to know the Crochet Club members, to teach them something new and “discover how their little minds work and how they operate.” She’s considering creating a small, informal group of crochet enthusiasts to work on more in-depth projects.
“It means a lot to share this part of me (with students), and I’ve just had so much fun with it,” she said. “Working on the admin side (of school), I don’t always get the time to have a lot of those genuine interactions with kids like teachers get to have. And so, to maybe impart some of my knowledge on them, or feel like I have made a little impact, that feels really good.”
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