Play is always one of the best ways for children to learn. Not only the little ones, we adults also learn better when we are relaxed and wanting to discover the world. This becomes a necessary condition when we talk about the children's universe. Children need curiosity and interest to develop new skills. Perhaps that is why industrial designers and game specialists dedicate themselves to inventing lacing games to learn how to tie shoes.
This is perhaps one of the best examples of how the power of the game affects the development of skills. Learning is easy when a child has fun in the process. However, it is very curious that as people grow older it seems that the importance of the game in people's lives is lost. Just look at children's schooling: if in kindergarten the game is what guides the organization of the class, already in primary school this backbone begins to be replaced by lessons and tasks.
And in the next school stage, the ability and skills generated by the game have been far away. Or do you know many teenagers who enjoy going to school because they know that there they will learn new knowledge in an entertaining way? But let's go back in time and return to our topic for today: the difficult task of teaching how to tie shoelaces. The task seems titanic seen from the eyes of childhood. And it is not for less: knots and ribbons that wind and unwind, go around to one side and the other like an endless labyrinth. How to facilitate the process of learning to tie shoelaces?
play and learning
There are no magic formulas and this milestone in the life of every child requires some practice. But the lacing games to learn how to tie your shoes allow you to shorten the path in a fascinating way. Perhaps because you learn without even realizing it. For any child who is in the learning phase, tying their shoelaces can be a source of frustration, since for them this complexity of loops and knots is very difficult. But if we add a pinch of fun with these well-made toys, this type of learning becomes porous for our little brains in search of new achievements.
You already know that toys for a child are of great importance, since they not only have fun but also learn many skills and developments through them. For this reason, a good set of laces will be essential for the child to acquire this skill that cannot be lacking in the life of a developing child. Because, it is true, at first it is common for children to wear velcro shoes, to save work and time for their parents and achieve a certain independence when the little one is in kindergarten, feeling more comfortable being able to fasten the shoes easily and without needing any help.
But this will last for a certain time, there comes a time when, once this learning has been achieved, it is necessary to go a step further. Velcro sneakers cannot be the only option forever and a new challenge is on the horizon when it comes to tying your laces. But of course, now with the good news that there are games to learn to tie your crowns that make the task fun, giving room for creativity.
Develop skills in the child
The fact that these games exist will not prevent the logical path of every creature: the appearance of frustration. Learning to tie shoelaces just requires a set of skills that no one learns in a minute. Tolerance for error, observation and a lot of practice are required. In this sense, games to learn to tie shoelaces lead to practice with the addition of fun. It is likely that the first time the child tries it he will be angry and feel helpless because it will not work. But with a little patience and the help of parents or a family member or caregiver, he will succeed after several attempts. It's just about being patient and explaining the steps little by little.
But there is something more, with lacing games, in addition to learning to develop this skill, the child will promote both his motor and cognitive skills. The reason? Regardless of whether it is a game or real life, the kids must organize and repeat a series of steps to achieve the feat. The game requires concentration and attention, children must thread the strings into small holes and remember sequences.
First to one side, then to the other, then insert the tape and so on. On the other hand, the child will have to concentrate and focus his arm and hand strength on his fingers to accomplish his task. And this is not something easy because we are talking about developing skills linked to fine motor skills that require great precision.
The importance of developing fine motor skills
What is fine motor skills? It is linked to the coordination of muscles, bones and nerves to produce small and precise movements. Tying your shoelaces involves a lot of fine motor control, just like picking up a small item with your index finger and thumb or combing a braid through your hair. They are exact movements that require the coordination of a large number of elements of the organism in addition to the memory involved in the sequence.
Opposed to fine motor skills is gross motor skills, linked to the ability to perform movements that use large muscle groups, such as walking, jumping and climbing. For a baby, gross motor skills are the larger movements a baby makes with her arms, legs, feet, or her entire body, such as crawling, running, jumping, or waving . Walking, running, and jumping are gross motor skills. (large and general). An example of gross motor control is waving your arms when greeting.
According to the level of fine motor control, it is possible to determine the developmental age of children beyond the chronological age since these skills develop over time. With practice and learning. To have fine motor control, children need knowledge and planning, coordination, muscle strength, and normal sensation. You will be able to notice that a child is developing fine motor skills correctly if he can carry out certain skills such as:
- Cut out shapes with scissors
- Draw lines or circles
- Fold clothes
- Hold and write with a pencil
- stack blocks
- close a zipper
- Tie the laces
- Sort sweets by colors, etc.
- Grab a brush to paint.
- Spoon with seeds
- Place clothes pegs
- Stringing soups on a straw
- Writing
- Pick up a small item with the index finger and thumb
- string beads
- Cut figures
Of course, each of these activities will take place in one or another stage of growth depending on age, since comprehensive maturity helps develop skills related to fine motor skills.
Game options to learn to tie shoelaces
Within the shoelace game options to learn how to tie your shoelaces, there are different options. The good thing about this is that you can choose one or the other according to the interest of the child. Beyond the choice, with these sets of laces the child will see every day that her skill before any difficult task is increasing and it will cost her nothing. On the other hand, the good thing is that these games are quite cheap and do not require a large investment.
Among the options are the templates to tie the laces. You can make this game yourself because you only have to draw your child's foot on a sheet of paper with a marker. Then you have to cut it out and paste the shape on a cardboard or cardboard. The third step is to make holes in the lace area and have a rope handy. The children will be able to insert the rope into the holes in order to learn little by little the step by step.
The story of the bunny is another game alternative to learn to tie shoelaces. It is simple and effective. You have to tell the child that he must make a cross with the laces. Then fold each shoelace to form two bunny ears. But the bunnies want to enter their burrow. For that, they must go around each other to enter together and go into the cave through the little hole. And this is how he is taught to tie the knot and then pull the little ears.
If we talk about playful learning, another game that opens up as an option is rhyme. There is a popular rhyme that refers to the story of the bunny and that goes like this: 'Laces come loose if you don't know how to tie them. I'll tell you a little secret and very soon you'll learn. Taking the two points a cross you have to form. Pass one through the cave and now you will stretch it. Look, you see, a knot was formed. Take it all the way down with no rush. Take a cord, form a little ear. The other hugs him and goes into the little cave. When the two little ears are ready, with a knot in the middle they will be prettier'.
This rhyme may serve as an introduction in the early years of childhood, a time when songs and rhymes are usually of great interest to children. As they grow, you can look for the type of game that best suits each age.
apps and videos
And we could not forget technology in learning through play. Just watch YouTube and enter a search and you will find many options to learn to tie your shoes in a fun and easy way, with learning games with sounds that are very attractive.
And there are also different apps dedicated to learning and developing basic life skills and routines. Have you looked for options? An example is sequences, which teaches life tasks such as getting dressed, tying shoelaces, brushing teeth, cooking an omelette, using the washing machine, etc. Or APK, an Android app dedicated to the task of teaching how to tie shoelaces. Designed for children and adults, it offers the possibility of learning laces with very original formats. So if you want to teach your child to tie their shoelaces or you want to be up-to-date and discover original formats for tying their shoelaces, then I recommend you download this curious app.