these are some awesome tips! I looked up how to teach your child to sew on a machine one day... the instructions said to use felt or foam, start him/her off on the machine with no needle in, let her get used to raising and lowering the pressure foot, let her run the 'fabric' through without any needle several times, then when you are content with her grasp, put the needle in and thread it, have him/her do it agian, this time with threaded needle. Takes about 30 minutes to teach your child how to sew on a machine, and they can make a neet little purse.. really simple. just mark the sewing lines on the felt or foam (foam might be easier to handle for a 4 yr. old. I wasn't able to do this when my daughter was 4, but she is 6 now so I will have to give it a try. Sounds like a very good plan.