My oldest sister taught me to sew on mom's machine when I was 3 and I've sewn ever since. My daughter was 18 months when she said, "Uppy, Mommy, my do." So I put her on my lap and held her hand as she used one finger to guide the fabric through. She hemmed a blanket and sewed a fleece robe (a very basic one) before she decided that she was done. I think it depends on the child. I had sisters, one 8 yrs older, two 6 yrs older that thought it was great fun to teach me what they were learning. By the time I started kindergarten I could sew on mom's machine, had two sets of pillowcases that I'd embroidered and could crochet doilys thanks to a grandma that wanted me to sit still while she watched her "stories" on tv.