This year, masks are the new No. 2 pencil. Kids who are doing full-time or hybrid learning will most likely be required to wear a mask at all times in their classroom and with that comes a new parental challenge: how to help kids not lose their masks.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “cloth face coverings are recommended as a simple barrier to help prevent respiratory droplets from traveling into the air and onto other people when the person wearing the cloth face covering coughs, sneezes, talks, or raises their voice. Cloth face coverings are an example of source control.”
Naturally, one mask won’t do. Multiple masks will be necessary and with that, a tool to hold on to them.
Fortunately, the solution is simple: Mask lanyards. Long the answer to corporate ID badges, mask lanyards not only help kids hang on to their all-important face protection. With these five suggestions, kids can customize their lanyards for easy identification and personalization so they won’t go missing when the final bell rings.
So how can kids perk up their lanyard to make it their very own? Time to pull out the craft bin and get to work.
1. Go rainbow
A brightly colored lanyard is great, but if you want to help your kid pick theirs out from the bunch, choose a rainbow colored lanyard.
Available from SpecialistID, the bright strap is made from silky comfortable fabric so it won’t irritate the neck. A breakaway safety feature that unsnaps it allows parents to rest assured that it won’t cause any injuries. And it’s swivel hook makes it easy to attach a mask.
Other cool color and pattern options:
2. Personalize it with a name badge
Want to really avoid mask confusion? Put your child’s name on it. Sure you could just use a Sharpie, but why try to squeeze their name in on the lanyard cord when you could put a proper name tag in a clear badge holder?
SpecialistID offers a variety of badge options which can hold a nametag. With a variety of clasps, kids can put their name and badge on the same lanyard. No confusing that.
3. Just bead it
Kids love beading and now is a great time to apply their crafting skills to personalizing their mask lanyards. Whether it’s chunky alphabet beads that spell out their name, or shiny glass beads that glam up the cord, by ordering a round non-breakaway lanyard, they can stack beads them pull them flush with the clasp a la a bolo tie.
Pro-tip: Buy large beads that children can easily manipulate. Consider that fine motor skills develop over time, so the larger the beads, the easier they’ll be for children to do the customization themselves.
4. Give it the friendship bracelet treatment
Who says you have to go to summer camp to learn how to make friendship bracelets? Using a solid lanyard as the base, kids can braid friendship-style patterns around their own lanyards.
For this project, kids can opt to either use the lanyard string as one of the friendship bracelet threads, or, use the knot approach and essentially wrap the pattern around the lanyard. This project works best with a thinner lanyard, like SpecialistID’s Round Lanyard with Steel Key or EK Lanyard Plus with Detachable Soft End.
5. Bedazzle it
During the Colonial era, girls as young as five were expected to sew samplers. While today’s children may not be forced to sew such meticulous crafts, they certainly have the motor skills to learn how to use a needle and thread, and that’s where bedazzling comes in.
A box of multicolored sequins can easily be applied to a wide lanyard band either in a pattern or freestyle. The best option to achieve a good look is to go for a lanyard model like the Face Mask Lanyard - Lightweight Facemask Neck Hanger & Ear Saver with 2 Bulldog Clips. Designed specifically for masks, its two clips easily hold on to a child’s face mask. Plus, the wide fabric makes it easy to decorate.
Lanyards present a host of crafting activities to give kids an opportunity to customize something that will become part of their uniform this year. However, just as kids will be prone to losing their masks, it might not hurt to buy some back-up lanyards in the process. Fortunately, the more lanyards you buy with SpecialistID, the better the bargain as prices drop as you increase your quantity.
To make the most of a health-crisis required accessory, make it a fun DIY activity the entire family can get involved in.