Pea geometry? This is such a fun craft which I learned after Wille brought some home from school when he was about six or seven. All you need are dry yellow peas and cocktail/toothpicks. Check this out:
After soaking the dry yellow peas over night in a bowl with water you can simply poke them with toothpicks.
After the initial one you just keep adding toothpicks. Be careful not to poke then too deep though so the pea doesn't split.
You can build all kinds of structures, both free form...
... and more squarish ones.
After the peas have dried your creations are quite solid and ready to be displayed. Who would have thought that geometry could be so much fun?
Yay, it's Friday! Happy weekend!
Oh! Never would have guessed!
Off to buy yellow peas...
Posted by: Leena | February 17, 2012 at 07:19 AM
Tändstickor utan svavel (finns på Panduro) och limpistol funkar i princip på samma sätt. Fick idén från barnverkstaden på Louisiana i somras.
Posted by: Sara | February 17, 2012 at 08:01 AM
That is so awesome! Happy Weekend!
Posted by: Monica | February 17, 2012 at 08:09 AM
Fast jag vet inte om jag tokgillar kombinationen smältlim och små barnhänder? Jag som är vuxen bränner mig ALLTID. Senast när jag byggde kattkojan. Aj! Fördelen med ärtorna är att de limmar sig själva runt tandpetaren :)
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | February 17, 2012 at 08:20 AM
That's great,
I should try with my kids this weekend..~but he is just 4!!
Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Gina | February 17, 2012 at 08:26 AM
Oh my goodness, I'm so excited to see this! I need to pick up a pack of peas today so I can give it a go. If only I'd known about this when I studied spatial design, then I would have used this method to create structures :) My mum is a teacher (in England) and I'll show her this as an activity for the children. Happy weekend!
Posted by: Rebecca | February 17, 2012 at 08:26 AM
Looks good and sounds like fun!
Posted by: Golla | February 17, 2012 at 08:27 AM
Great activity for my little boy, who usually thinks many crafts are girly! Problem here is to find those yellow peas in France. Friends have carried them in suitcases from Sweden to make a proper pea soup! I will search the healthfood stores here as ski for my stir-crazy boy on ski holdays!
Posted by: Jennifer in France | February 17, 2012 at 08:34 AM
Bloody genius!
Posted by: Hxx | February 17, 2012 at 08:44 AM
I think you've started a pea trend. Looks cool and stylish. Trevlig helg!
Posted by: Zosia | February 17, 2012 at 08:55 AM
So cool! That looks like a craft even my all-thumb hands could do. I wonder if my four month old granddaughter wants to help me :)
Posted by: Judith | February 17, 2012 at 08:56 AM
Fint, vi fick göra något liknande när jag gick i skolan, fast i form av stjärnor som vi hade i julgranen. Minns att jag tyckte dom var så fina :)
Posted by: Sara | February 17, 2012 at 09:16 AM
Oh, love this: will try it with my Maths-obsessed son (...yes I did say Maths-obsessed...someone has to be!!) x
Posted by: Nicola | February 17, 2012 at 09:22 AM
Love the idea! I'll definitely give this a try with our girls! Thanks for sharing the tip!
This is my first comment, but I've been reading your blog for over a year, and really enjoy it! Thanks Benita!
Posted by: Marie-Ange | February 17, 2012 at 09:31 AM
I love it! I wonder if I can find dry yellow peas in the U.S.? I've only ever seen green split peas, but then I've never really looked.
Posted by: Maura | February 17, 2012 at 09:44 AM
It´s really nice, we did that with the children in school last year:)
Posted by: Helen | February 17, 2012 at 10:08 AM
Lysande! Detta pyssel skulle fängsla även resten av familjen i timmar. Undrar om det funkar med de gamla bönor vi har liggande och som ingen äter? Annars får vi väl köpa gula ärter. De som blir över kan man ha i ärtpåsar :-) (att äta gula ärter kommer inte på fråga i detta hus).
Posted by: Jenny | February 17, 2012 at 10:34 AM
Inte här heller :).
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | February 17, 2012 at 10:55 AM
Haha - vilken kul idé! :-)
Posted by: tinajo | February 17, 2012 at 11:22 AM
Sorry I also meant to ask a question - is Gula Artor (the label on the packet) the same thing as Kikartor (chickpeas)? Thanks
Posted by: Mags | February 17, 2012 at 11:29 AM
Oops looks like my original comment didn't work! Loved the sculptures when I saw them in your office reveal so appreciate the post to explain how to make them!!
Posted by: Mags | February 17, 2012 at 11:31 AM
Gula Ärtor are yellow peas. They are the same size as green peas so quite a lot smaller than chickpeas. Also yellow peas are rounder than chickpeas. No harm in trying chickpeas though :)
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | February 17, 2012 at 12:08 PM
Too cool :)
Have a great weekend.
PS - Remember to ejoy the bottle of wine you richly deserve after moving your bedroom to the basement (which is a fabulous idea)!
Posted by: Eunice | February 17, 2012 at 01:25 PM
You could also use white beans used to make baked beans. (In Canada, these are called small navy beans). These would compliment your white decor Benita :)
Posted by: Eunice | February 17, 2012 at 01:28 PM
that would be the only way I would like geometry!
Posted by: patty | February 17, 2012 at 01:52 PM
I noticed your creations yesterday and wondered what was joining the toothpicks.
My 4 little men will have so much fun with this activity! :)
Posted by: Anne | February 17, 2012 at 02:22 PM
Det kräver lite teknik men vår sjuåring klarade det galant :) Ska testa ärtorna med småsyskonen.
Posted by: Sara | February 17, 2012 at 02:46 PM
Wonderful! I see a world wide shortage of yellow peas coming on! :)
Posted by: Lisa Flaherty | February 17, 2012 at 04:48 PM
Wow, who'd have thought? I've actually never seen yellow peas here but this is definitely interesting!
Posted by: Marjorie | February 17, 2012 at 05:17 PM
I was wondering what they were in the previous post. Can't wait to try it out with my kids. I am guessing any dried pea would work if we can't find the yellow ones.
Posted by: Catherine | February 17, 2012 at 05:20 PM
Good timing, we're off to IKEA tomorrow (the only place I've seen yellow peas). Looks like fun--and so cute to display!
Posted by: RR | February 17, 2012 at 06:07 PM
Ooooo they're wonderful!!! Will try this week end, but I don't have peas at home... I was wondering: and if I used jelly beans or small rounded candies instead of the peas?!:-) Thank you Benita for sharing with us these cool ideas!
Posted by: Irene | February 17, 2012 at 06:15 PM
Benita, this is pure awesomeness. You win the internets for the year. Seriously, I adore this project and thanks for sharing!
Posted by: devil | February 17, 2012 at 06:32 PM
We've always done something similar with toothpicks and mini marshmallows, but they have the disadvantage that they are perishable (not to mention the fact that kids learn pretty quickly how much more fun it is to eat them than to build with them).
Posted by: Rebecca | February 17, 2012 at 06:49 PM
:)
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | February 17, 2012 at 08:14 PM
Haha
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | February 17, 2012 at 08:15 PM
I was going to ask about them on your office reveal, but you beat me to it :)
Posted by: G.Sims | February 18, 2012 at 05:29 AM
amazing! :-))
Posted by: Kac | February 18, 2012 at 11:37 AM
I must show this to my 10 years old sons (twins), it's great for winter break ;-) in school.
I have alredy did your's "Father's Day Almond Biscotti". Twice ;-P. And a plum tart (delicious!).
Posted by: Anka | February 18, 2012 at 03:39 PM
Love!
Our preschool does a similar thing with marshmallows, but you can't keep them, obviously.
Posted by: Anne | February 18, 2012 at 04:08 PM
my 6 and 8 year olds might need to try this today - fun!
Posted by: Amy | February 19, 2012 at 01:50 PM
Herlig idé!
Jeg må straks i gang med de gule ærter - det ser meget stiligt ud:-))
Posted by: Rosa | February 19, 2012 at 09:56 PM
What a great idea :)
Posted by: Ola | February 20, 2012 at 08:48 AM
Love this! And it reminded us a little of the Journal page we wrote about design inspired by science: http://blog.llustre.com/inspired-by-science/
- The LLUSTRE Team
Posted by: The LLUSTRE Team | February 21, 2012 at 04:06 PM
I love this!! I can't wait to try it with my children!! Someone said you can get the yellow peas at Ikea?? I must look for them the next time I am there... it is around the corner from me and I think of you every time I go in there Benita!!!
Posted by: Melissa | February 22, 2012 at 05:43 AM
This is such an awesome idea, thanks for sharing! I've never seen dry yellow peas, but now I'm off to hunt for them.
Posted by: Design Style | February 23, 2012 at 07:45 PM