Needle facts for kids

Different needles

Sewing machine needles have the hole near the point.

A needle is a small tool used to push or pull a thread through a small hole. It is most often used to make clothing and footwear.

The needle consists of a short stick with a sharp point and hole for the thread. Needles are now mostly made of steel, but in ancient or Stone Age times they would have been made of small bones or twigs.

Once the thread is put through the hole in the needle and "doubled-back" so that it cannot fall out, then the whole needle and its thread can be put through the material.

The term needle may also be used to refer to other sharp objects used for different purposes, such as the needles doctors use to give a shot.