Gym shoes
Tying laces is a small motor sequence with a clock ticking behind it, especially when the shoe also needs to feel right against a sensitive foot. The visual steps below slow the process down.
Gym shoes
A pair of blue gym shoes with red details and white laces.
Gym shoes
A pair of blue and red gym shoes.
Gym shoes
A pair of blue and white gym shoes.
About this visual support
Lacing a shoe is not as simple as it looks. The first cross, the loop, the moment of pulling tight without crushing, all ask the fingers to know exactly what they are doing. Add a shoe that needs to sit snug without pressing on the instep or the big toe, and you have two demands competing for attention at once.
A picture sequence separates them. First the fit, foot in, heel pushed back, room at the toe checked. Then the lacing as its own row, with cross, loop and tighten marked one at a time. It also makes it easier for an adult to see where things tend to get stuck without taking over the whole motion.
A specific idea: have the child press the heel firmly to the floor before lacing starts, so the space at the front of the shoe is the same every time. If you want the same images alongside a timer and check-off, Routined offers a 14-day trial.