The Best Shoe-Tying Methods to Teach Your Little Ones
Tying our shoelaces is a task that comes as second nature to us as we get older, but it can be tricky for little ones to master at first!
If you’re struggling to find the right method to teach your child to tie their laces, rest assured. We’re here to offer simple, step-by-step advice that will get your little treasure tying their shoes with total ease. We’ve also put together a list of top tips to help them practice.
There are lots of different ways to tie shoes, but we’ve picked out the simplest methods to make teaching your child how to tie laces as easy as 1,2,3!
How to tie shoes using the ‘Bunny Ears’ method
This is probably the most popular method for tying laces, and it’s fun because you can create your own bunny character to help it stick in your little one’s mind!
The bunny ears method goes like this:
Step 1
Take a lace in each hand. Then, cross the lace in your left hand over the one in your right hand.Where the laces meet in the centre, wrap the right shoelace over the left shoelace to form a sort of loose knot. Pull both shoelaces to complete the knot.
Step 2
Make a loop with the right shoelace and hold it together with your thumb and index finger.Repeat with the left shoelace. They should now look like little rabbit ears!
Step 3
Cross the loop in your left hand behind the one in your right hand.This should leave a hole between the loops and the knot made at the beginning.
Step 4
Pull the left loop through the hole.
Step 5
Gently pull the ttwo loops together to tighten the laces.And that’s all there is to the Bunny Ears method for tying laces! Once your little one has mastered it, they’ll be ready to pick out some stylish shoes to explore the world in. Here are some of our favourites:
How to tie laces using the ‘Around the Tree’ method
This method is another popular way to teach children how to tie shoelaces. You might also know it as the ‘bowknot’ or the ‘standard shoelace knot’.
Either way, it goes like this:
Step 1
Just like we did with the Bunny Ears method, start by holding a lace in each hand and make a knot.
Step 2
Make a loop with the lace on the right-hand side of the knot and hold it together with your thumb and forefinger.
Step 3
Take the left shoelace and pass it around to the right, pulling it behind the loop until it encircles the loop entirely.This should leave a hole between the loop and the lace that has been pulled around it.
Step 4
Feed the left shoelace into the hole so that it also becomes a loop.
Step 5
Pull both loops until the knot is firmly tied.And there you have it - another method to help teach your little one how to tie their laces. They will be a pro in no time!
Ready to buy some laced shoes? Here are some of our best-loved styles:
Top tips for teaching your little ones how to tie their shoes
Don’t be disheartened if your child doesn’t take to tying their laces straight away; like all skills, learning how to tie shoes takes time. If you’re finding the teaching a bit of a struggle, don’t fret.
Try out our top tips and they’ll get the knack in no time at all!
1. Use a practice board
It’s much easier for little ones to practice on something flat at first, rather than a real shoe.
You can download our practice board template for free here.
2. Practice on a table
Practicing how to tie shoelaces whilst your child is wearing their shoes can be quite tricky, so you might find it easier to put the practice board on their lap or in front of them on a table. Once they’ve got to grips with tying laces on the practice board, they’ll be ready to move on to a real shoe.
3. Use two different coloured laces
Rather than saying ‘the left lace’ and ‘the right lace’, it might be easier to use two different coloured laces to demonstrate how to tie laces to your child. This will make it more interesting for them to look at too, so they’ll be more excited about learning this new skill.
4. Use stiffer laces
Stiff laces are far easier to practice with, as it helps the loops to stay in position when you’re showing little ones how to tie their shoes.
5. Make sure the laces are long enough
Trying to tie laces that are too short can be quite frustrating! When children are learning to tie laces, they need plenty of space to make their loops for the bow. If the laces are too short, it makes the method tricky to get right.
6. Draw dots on the laces so your little ones know where to hold them
Grab a coloured marker and draw a little dot on each lace so that your little one knows where to hold them when they’ve made their loops. This means they’ll make the correct sized loop, making lace-tying that little bit easier to master.
Can your little one tie their shoes?
If your child has successfully learnt how to tie their shoes, why not reward them with a certificate? Download our Degree in Lacing and present it to your little champion today.
Once your little one has mastered the art of shoelace-tying, they’ll no longer be limited to the type of shoes they can wear. Check out our charming range of children’s shoes and help them select the perfect pair to practice their lacing skills on!