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Homemade Lacing

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Creative Arts

2.5-4 years

Lacing activities help children develop fine–motor skills, bilateral coordination, motor planning and visual perceptual skills. In addition, lacing helps children practice the precursor skills for shoe tying and sewing. 

Materials

  • Cardboard 
  • String, yarn or shoelace 
  • Sticky tape 
  • Beads or Buttons (Optional) 
  • Coloured pens or pencils 
  • Scissors 
  • Hole punch 

    Directions

    1. Cut out shapes from a piece of cardboard (a cereal box is a suitable thickness). 
    2. Pierce holes around the perimeter or through the centre of the shapes using a hole punch. 
    3. Seal the ends of string or yarn with sticky tape to create a stiff end for child to easily thread through the holes. This is unnecessary if using a shoe lace.
    4. Demonstrate the activity and encourage your child to thread the lace through each hole, over and under, until the shape is completely laced. 
    5. Encourage your child to decorate the lace with beads and buttons if available.   

    Adaptions

    • Use different coloured shoelaces or string/yarn. 
    • Increase or decrease the number of holes in the shape, and the width between the holes.  
    • Increase or decrease the complexity of patterns to suit your child’s age and ability. 

    At Learning Jungle, we believe all children are capable, confident and full of potential. Co-learning empowers your child to take initiative. Encouraging child participation and engaging in open-ended, thought-provoking conversation throughout play is important for healthy child development.

    Conversations with your child

    • Try using your other hand to pull the lace through 
    • Try to fill all the holes 
    • Can you start from the other side this time? 
    • Should we add beads/buttons to the lace? 
    • Try to only use your thumb and pointer finger to hold the lace 

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