Best tips for Tying Shoe Laces!

Are you kids wearing velcro, buckles or lace ups for school this year? There is a growing trend {just my observation} for kids to start school with velcro fastenings on their shoes {mine included}.  Kids are learning to tie their shoe laces at a later age putting off this "difficult" challenge. 

Tying shoe laces is a complex skill that requires the integration of both sides of the body (bilateral coordination), integration of what is seen and hand movement (visual motor integration), planning, sequencing and manual dexterity.  Developmentally, kids are ready from about 5 years of age to start learning to tie shoe laces, although some may not master it for a while.

In this article, I have collated some terrific tips by fabulous therapy bloggers for helping your child to tie shoe laces.  

Technique

There are generally 2 techniques used to tie shoe laces. The single loop and the double loop methods.  Tonya from Therapy Fun Zone describes these two methods with excellent step by step pictures to guide your child. She even introduces a third method!  Read about it here...

Shoe Tying techniques from Therapy Fun Zone

• North Shore Pediatric Therapy have produced a two part webisode to help you with teaching your kids to tie their laces {Part 1 and part 2}.
  
• The Inspired Treehouse also have 3 great videos to guide you with shoe tying techniqueshere!

Top Tips

Try attaching two pipecleaners (different colours) to your shoes to teach shoelace tying. I first saw this idea on Pinterest and it really helps! The stiffness of the pipecleaners means that if a "loop" is dropped then it doesn't automatically lose it's shape.   Having two different colours helps to separate out what the left side is doing compared with the right side, breaking down the task into smaller steps.  Eg. You can say ... make a loop with the yellow pipecleaner and pinch the bottom of the loop.  Take the green pipecleaner and wrap it around the yellow loop. etc.

Remember to look out for other opportunities to practise tying a bow with your kids! Wrapping presents, ribbon in hair, ties on tracksuit pants, tying a ribbon on a doll or teddy, tying a lead to toy dog, etc.  Make the most of everyday opportunities.

Find more top tips for teaching your child to encourage success...

• Therapy Fun Zone: Teaching Shoe Tying Tips and Tricks
• Therapy Fun Zone: Shoe Tying Printable Practice Shoe
  
• North Shore Pediatric Therapy: Loop, Swoop and Pull. Teaching Shoe Tying
• Mama OT: Tips for Teaching Shoe Tying to Children with Motor Difficulties

Try alternatives

If your kids continue to have difficulty learning how to tie their shoe laces you may like to consider some alternatives.  Most of the tools on the market help stabilise the laces when learning to tie laces and often provide two colours to help with lace confusion. Note: any giveaways you may read about in these articles have closed.

• Your Therapy Source: : 5 adaptions for tying shoe laces
• Mama OT: Easy Tie Laces Help Kids learn to tie their shoes.
• OT Cafe: Tips for teaching shoe tying with Easy Tie Laces

Still confused?

Here is a great article by OT Mom who discusses the underlying skills needed for tying shoe laces.  
She also has a great book to help your kids with the development of bilateral coordination skills {affiliate link}.

An Occupational Therapist can help your child with learning this difficult skill.  Your child may need additional sensory input, assistance with motor planning, bilateral coordination or visual motor integration. 

Click here to view more details at OT Mom Learning Activities

Do you have a child learning to tie shoelaces? What technique has worked for you?

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