Tying shoelaces is an essential skill.
Tying shoelaces is a skill that children must master before they can graduate from kindergarten. Some kids may find this a challenging task; others may only have to be shown the proper way to tie their shoes once or twice. Either way, every child can benefit from shoe tying activities that teach new skills and reinforce old ones. These fun activities will make the task less intimidating.
Fancy Feet
Have each child trace their feet onto card stock. Children may find it easier to trace their shoes rather than their feet. Be sure to use dull, jumbo pencils so they do not stab their feet or mark their shoes. Have children cut the outline of their feet out of the paper with safety scissors. Have an adult punch three sets of two holes in the center of the feet and lace them with yarn to represent shoe laces. Return the feet to the children and allow them to decorate the feet with buttons, stickers, feathers and any other embellishment you have available. Use these new "feet" to teach the children tie their shoes.
Tying Rhyme
Teaching children a rhyme to recite while tying their shoes gives them a good step-by-step reminder of the process. Here is a rhyme to learn: "Over and under and pull it tight. Make a bow, now that looks right! Go around the bow and take slow. Pull it through! That will do!" After teaching the children the rhyme, demonstrate the steps of tying laces while reciting the rhyme.
Lace Race
On a large piece of green poster-board, write the title, "Lace Race" across the top. Make a line on the left with the word "Start" written next to it and a line on the right for the "Finish" line. With a ruler and pencil, make a grid between the start and finish lines. You will need enough vertical rows for each student and at least five horizontal lines. You may have to make two columns if you have a large group of kids participating. Have each child color a small footprint (the size of one of the squares on your grid). Write the name of every child to the left of the starting line. Every day the child ties her own shoes, she advances one square. Whoever finishes the race first wins a prize. You may want to give a prize to everyone who crosses the finish line.
Shoe Lace Practice Cards
Cut basic shapes such as triangles, circles and squares out of poster-board. Shapes should be no smaller than five inches in diameter. Allow students to color the shapes and even draw faces on the fronts. With a hole punch, punch holes around the edges of the shapes. Allow at least one inch between holes. Provide students with colorful shoelaces and introduce the concept of laces and lacing to them. Allow them to lace their cards and encourage them to tie a bow after all the holes have been laced.
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