Contrary to my daughter’s view, not all shoes come with a glitter Velcro strap. Really, they can go quite a while before buying shoes with laces, but learning to tie is a valueable skill preschoolers can use in a variety of other activities. I was at the Dollar Tree last week and spoted some kids shoelaces. The product package is a cute little cutout shape of a shoe with the laces threaded through just like on a real shoe. I thought, HEY, what a great idea to help kids practice tying their shoes, and for only $1 a pair!
Shoe tie practice
shoelaces at the Dollar tree
To make tying practice a bit easier, I attached the shoelace card to a book cover and then drew my own little illustrations with words for each step (not my best doodle work, by any means!). Just remove one of the laces, apply some glue to the back of the lace card and then adhere to your book cover. Then your preschooler can put the book in their lap while they practice working out how to tie.
How to tie a shoe activity
You could also attach the lace card to a box, just make sure it’s something big enough to make holding the laces in place easy for your preschooler.
There are a couple methods for shoe tying and each has it’s benefits. My husband and I both tried teaching my son how to tie his shoes and one method was far easier for him. Each child will pick up the skill a little differently.
Does your preschooler tie their own shoes? (Mine’s still working on it).
About the Author
Jen Goode is the creator and owner of ProjectsforPreschoolers.com. She is a work-at-home mom of 3 and the owner and “doodler in charge” of JGoode Designs, a Denver based art and design studio. She has been a creative professional since 1996. Jen, shares her creative inspirations here at Projects for Preschoolers as well as 100 Directions and as a featured contributor on various sites throughout the web.
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That’s neat! I love the picture directions you drew too! My 1st grader finally learned to tie his shoes with this really cool method: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbaHxsilsKI It was much easier to learn than the standard method.