Rainbow Loom 'made popular by Duchess of Cambridge'

[shebird]

There have been a few articles in newspapers in the last few weeks regarding the current rainbow loom trend and several papers seem to imply that it's popularity has soared as a result of the Duchess of Cambridge who was seen wearing one given to her by a child. Several other celebrities have been sporting loom band brackets too apparently.

My children have only a vague idea who the Duchess of Cambridge is and she certainly isn't responsible for their obsession with this. Why do the media need to make out that celebrities are responsible for everything? Can't we just let kids enjoy a simple craft/ toy these days just because it's fun rather than it being a celeb led trend or AIBU?

[TheLovelyBoots]

I agree. I am also very pleased that the boys loom in equal measure to the girls at my kids' school - it's a nice way for them to find common ground.

[WannabeMrsJoshHomme]

where did it start anyway?!

[TheHorseHasBolted]

They were everywhere long before the article about the Duchess came out. It started in America so I very much doubt if she was anything more than jumping on an existing bandwagon.

[shebird]

Article today was talking about injuries kids have had paying rainbow loom and then almost saying Kate was responsible by starting the trend.

[WanderingAway]

Has anyone read the articles about the looms?

Schools have banned them apparently, because one child went to bed with one on their fingers and it turned the fingers blue. Oh yeah because it is the schools responsibility to put our kids to bed

[TheHorseHasBolted]

The children are not allowed to wear them at my school because they cause too many arguments, not for safety reasons. Most of the adults are wearing them.

[Trollsworth]

They are banne din our school because some of the boys were using them to make rudimentary crossbows and fire pencils at each other.

It's actually impressive.

[Bicnod]

DS (5) and all his friends are loom band obsessed (I'm wearing one he made me as I type...)

They all tell me they aren't allowed to make the bands on their fingers as a boy did that and his fingers went blue and fell off . This is playground FACT. They use two pencils instead.

I quite like it. Reminds me of the friendship band craze when I was a teenager.

Bloody things get everywhere though, so now spend my whole life picking up loom bands as well as Lego

[WestmorlandSausage]

its a very nice annoying non electronic past time that teaches children patience , crafts and 'making something'.

thumbs up from me.

Better than bloody skylander

[Whatsthatnoise]

I showed dd (5) the picture of the boy with the blue fingers, she was more shocked he had loom bands in his bed beside him
I'm pretty sure she doesn't know the duchess, her obsession is peer led.

[edamsavestheday]

I think that story was in the Telegraph which is a. obsessed with royalty in an old-fashioned way and b. written with older readers in mind. Not many mothers of small children amongst the editorial staff. (Possibly some fathers, but they sure aren't doing school pick up and probably not bedtime either, unless the kids are teenagers/they live in Pimlico.)

[Stinkle]

My 8 year old is also loom band obsessed.

I was reading something the other day about them becoming popular after Kate USA seen wearing one.

They've been doing the rounds at our school for ages, my DD asked Father Christmas for a set, so months before the D of C was wearing hers.

They're not banned at our school yet, but they are being warned that if they continue messing about with them in class, there will be a total ban

Even I've got quite addicted, I spent a very productive day this week making a 3d flower bracelet, complete with entwined ivy

[Stinkle]

Er.....Kate was seen wearing one

[Stinkle]

Oh, and mine use 2 forks Sellotape together rather than their fingers. The more complicated bracelets tend to involve having the bracelets pulled tighter and it was hurting

[Anotheronebitthedust]

Nobody was saying she wasn't, Stinkle.

Rather than the paper gave the impression that she started/hugely influenced the trend, whereas it had actually been going for a while before that, and the majority of very young children into the craze wouldn't know/care who she was anyway.

[Stinkle]

No, I know. My DD got into them at Christmas.

Or do you mean my Kate was post, I was just correcting my USA autocorrect in the post above

[oxygenna]

Bloody royals! I avoid articles about them.

But seriously at them being made popular by the Duchess of Cambridge.

[Downamongtherednecks]

I live in the US. They shot to prominence in the US last summer, and they weren't new then. It was just that one of the big craft shops started pushing them in summer 2013, just in time for all the summer craft camps to get children hooked on them. It's calmed down a bit now, thank goodness.

[Trickydecision]

Stinkle, any chance of a photo? The entwined ivy is hard to visualise but sounds good.

[Stinkle]

Tricky DD's taken my one to school and lost it, but the instructions are here

Don't do it! I got sucked in, and before I knew it, it was 3pm

[Whatevertheweather]

My sister lives in Canada and sent my dd one last summer saying they were really big over there. At that point I'd never heard of them!

[Oleoleole]

My nine year old was obsessed by her loom bands. I hadn't seen her doing any for a while. Turns out they are sooooo last week and very naff now

[shebird]

I just hope the craze lasts for the school holidays. I am picturing lovely quiet afternoons in the garden with DCs kept occupied by rainbow loom. No need for expensive days out or nagging about tv and computers. Wishful thinking eh?

[privetandpetunias]

Mine were really into it long before the Duchess was seen wearing one. DD was given a kit for christmas but found it a bit tricky, then a couple of months later ds found some instructions on youtube, picked it up and started making them, taught the others and now they are all constantly making them. The only thing that influenced them was that it was fun.

[RitaConnors]

Mine have been mad for it since February.