Oh yeah, that would work too! Thanks for the suggestion. I have a crafty 1st grader who's always making stuff. I'm not sure if she's ready for crocheting yet (she still sometimes gets frustrated about tying her shoes), but she does okay with sewing flat toys made of felt. I think she could do *something* with plastic canvas. And the tactile aspect would be great.
Thinking of other ways to use my yarn stash... I bet her younger brother could be taught to spool knit a bunch of "worms" in various colors. Then I could sew them into
game pieces/counters/lunar landing pads/etc. 
