Lacing toys are easy hits with young children and for good reason. Lacing does something for toddlers and preschoolers that not a lot of other toys, games, and activities do — it engages theirs minds and hands at the same time in several different ways.
While we at shumee love a good lacing toy, we also know that children who enjoy lacing are sure to love a fun DIY session where they can make the toy themselves!
Which is why this week, our Co-Create activity is a lacing game that you and your little one can make with materials you have at home!
Benefits of Shapes Lacing
This week’s activity is brought to you by Disha Shah, a DIY blogger and mom to 3-year-old Tvisha. You can see Disha’s previous Co-Create activities here.
This Shapes Lacing Toy game is just as much fun to make as it is to play since it gives your child a chance to cut, stick, and get creative! The benefits it offers include:
1. Helps identify shapes: Lacing across the different shapes will familiarize your child with the contours and sides of each shape.
2. Hones fine motor skills: Lacing through the pasta or straw pieces will increase their pincer grasp and overall hand strength.
3. Improves bilateral coordination: Your child has to hold the shape in one hand and lace it with the other, developing their ability to work together with both hands.
4. Improves hand-eye coordination: Visually tracking the lacing as they move through each hole will improve their hand-eye coordination.
5. Increases concentration: Lacing requires them to focus carefully until they complete the task. This will benefit their concentration skills.
6. Sharpens spatial awareness: Accurately aiming for each hole will help your child sharpen their spatial awareness.
Creating Shapes Lacing
Age Group:
This activity can be enjoyed by children between 2.5 to 5 years.
Materials required:
1. A piece of cardboard and coloured A4 sheets
2. A scissor and glue gun
3. A black marker
4. Different coloured laces
5. Pasta or straws
How to create the game:
1. Take the piece of cardboard and cut it into different shapes. For younger children, keep the shapes simple such as square, rectangle, triangle, etc. For older children, you can experiment with more complex shapes such as hexagon, pentagon, trees, clouds, etc.
2. Take the coloured papers, cut them to fit the cardboard shapes, and stick them to the pieces of cardboard.
3. Leave a little distance along the edges and stick pasta or small pieces of straws as shown in the image above.
How to play with Shapes Lacing
The aim of the game is to lace the shapes from one end to the other. Insert the lace through a few pasta or straw pieces and encourage your child to complete it.
Once your child is comfortable with the game, you can time them or make it a fun competition between siblings or friends! You can even increase levels of difficulty with more complex shapes.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this activity. If you would like to share your experience playing this game, tag us at #CoCreatewithshumee. Take care and stay safe!
Disha Shah is a DIY blogger who creates smart play ideas for children. You can follow her @momkid.smartplay on Instagram.