THE ULTIMATE SHOE TYING HACK!

I always tell people I have a master’s degree in “Shoe Tying.”

Learning to tie your shoes is a life skill, and I know many Physical Education teachers incorporate it into their teaching, either as a station or as a supplemental part of a unit.

Instead of making cardboard cutouts or buying expensive practice shoes, here’s a simple hack: tape pipe cleaners to the floor! Pipe cleaners hold their shape, giving little hands more control as students practice.

I found some super long pipe cleaners in the art room and asked if I could take a few. I placed a piece of floor tape halfway across and stuck the pipe cleaner to it. Students bend down, put their actual sneaker on the tape, and viola!—you have a practice station. You can get fancy with foot stickers, but tape works just fine.

Once students master the pipe cleaners, move on to real shoelaces taped to the floor. It’s a simple, low-cost way to give them extra practice and build a life skill that really sticks.

Keep on,

Katie