5 Tips for Tying Shoes

Tying the Perfect Knot: 5 Tips for Tying Shoes

Bunny ears:

This is a classic method for teaching beginners how to tie their shoes. Hold one lace in each hand. Make two big loops (bunny ears), one with each lace. Make an X with the ears, sliding one ear under the X to make sure the bunny ears don’t fall off. Pull tight.

The squirrel and tree:

This is a common technique to teach children the single loop method. Make tree roots by tying a starter knot. Make a tree with one lace by making a loop. Wrap the second lace around the loop and under, explaining that the squirrel runs around the tree and into the hole.

Cardboard cutout:

Draw a shoe outline on the inside of an old shoebox. Cut out the shoe and make holes where the laces would be. Lace colored yarn through the holes. Allow your child to decorate the shoe however they wish. Let them practice on the cardboard shoe for a nice change.

Stickers:

Let your child pick out his or her favorite pack of stickers. Put one sticker on the left hand and a different sticker on the right hand. This technique will help your child distinguish left from right and recognize which lace is which.

Two colored laces:

This method works in similar ways as the sticker method. Instead of using plain, boring white laces, try using two different-colored laces. This makes learning to tie shoes more exciting for children, while helping them distinguish left from right.

Amanda Blue is an intern for KC Parent Magazine. She is a sophomore at the University of Kansas where she is studying journalism.