Are you having trouble teaching your pre-schooler to tie their shoes? Alas, Velcro shoes can’t be worn forever! There are high-quality shoe-tieing boards on the market that are made out of wood and come with a hefty price tag – but why not make one yourself with sturdy cardboard and a few bits from around the house!
You will need:
- Cardboard – big enough to fit a pair of shoes on, and sturdy enough to last
- A pair of shoes
- Laces of your choice – ribbons, string, even old shoe laces if you have them
- Decorations – Glitter! Pencil Crayons! Markers! Whatever you’d like!
- A sharp pencil or hole punch
Step One: Trace your shoes!
Step Two: Finish drawing your dream pair of shoes! They could be moon boots, or shoes with wings. Use your imagination. Don’t draw the laces though! Just draw the holes where they would be.
Step Three: When you’ve finished drawing your dream shoes, punch the holes out. You can do this with a hole punch, or take your sharp pencil and push it gently through the cardboard. You can put a chunk of play clay underneath your cardboard to prevent the pencil from making a mark in your work surface.
Step Four: Lace your shoes the way you’d lace shoes in real life.
Step Five: Start practicing!
There you have it! A super easy way to inspire your pre-schooler to learn how to tie their shoes. Whether it’s bunny ears or the classing loop-swoop-pull method – at least they’re learning how to get the job done! If they lose interest, have them design a new pair! Who doesn’t get excited about a brand new pair of shoes?
Let us know how this works for you and your child on Social Media!
Twitter: @TodaysFamilyOnt
Facebook: Today’s Family Early Learning and Child Care
Until next time,
– Today’s Family
