My nephew has a lot of toys. And sometimes, I think, he has too much toys. Especially when I’m cleaning the house. :/
He has blocks (plastic and wooden versions), ramps for toy cars, toy cars (a luggage full of them), balls, stuffed toys (those Ninja turtles are just too adorable), a Jedi sword (yeah, he has one), and a whole lot more. Not to mention the other household stuff that have become his permanent toys, like measuring cups, spatula, tiny broom, whisk…
Honestly, they are too many to mention.
He got most of his toys on his first birthday. Most of the guests gave him toys for present. And his parents had fun opening them.
But of all his toys, there is: One Toy that rule them all, One Toy to find them; One Toy to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.
Did you read that last line with Galadriel’s ominous voice? 😛
But seriously, among all his toys, this one is my favorite. And I think he likes playing with it, too. What is it?
LACING TOYS!
Yup! Lacing toys definitely trump the other toys that he has. At least for this blog post. 😀
Back Story: I bought a set of lacing toys in Indonesia when Seb was only two months old. The toys are animal figured. And they have holes all over them and they come with colorful laces. The tip of the each lace is also made up of wood.
I bought him these toys because I know how kids love them (based on my experience in my preschool class), so I thought he would love them, too, when he’s not two months old anymore. And I was correct! Now that he’s 1 year and 6 months old, he can now appreciate it.
And I know that this toy would bring him a lot of benefits.
As a preschool teacher, I believe that toddlers should be exposed to different fine motor activities. In fact, it is highly recommended to expose children to activities that could help them strengthen their hands, wrists and finger muscles- examples of these activities are in this link.
For this blog post, I would like to highlight the benefits of this humble toy- the lacing toy.
Lacing toys are equally effective educational and developmental toys for toddlers.
Lacing is a classic fine motor activity for children. And it is classic for the following reasons:
1. Improves eye-hand coordination
The simultaneous use of children’s hands and eyes as they insert the tip of the string or ribbon into the holes improves their eye-hand coordination.
2. Builds pincer grip
By using the index finger and the thumb to grasp the tip of the string, children are building their pincer grip.
Pincer grip is gained by being able to hold objects between the thumb and another finger. It is considered an essential fine motor skill.
3. Improves attention
To be able to do lacing, children have to concentrate so they can be able to shoot the string into the holes. Concentration is highly needed in this task.
See Seb’s frown lines? If that is not concentration, I don’t know what is.
4. Develops patience and perseverance
Lacing is fun but it is not an easy task. Children could find it challenging to shoot the strings in the holes, especially if the holes are small. It can also be frustrating when the string gets caught (because it already got tangled.)
So if your toddlers can stay on task despite the challenges, you can be assured that he or she is already one step closer to becoming patient and persevering.
Hmmm… I guess those hotheaded drivers who display road rage never got their hands on a lacing toy. Too bad.
Clearly, lacing is an effective activity that could help your child develop his or her fine motor skills- and it doesn’t need a pencil!
As a preschool teacher, I highly recommend that you introduce this fun activity to your child long before he or she attends school.
In this scenario, I would say that the adage, “The earlier, the better,” is absolutely correct.
Teacher’s Advice:
Introduce activities that could help develop fine motor skills as early as toddlers.
Don’t limit yourself to pencils and crayons. Lacing toys are equally effective.
I hope you’ll consider lacing as another activity that you can do with your child at home. Let me know how your child finds it.
Oh, and please visit my Free Printable Page for more!
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Happy learning,
14 Responses
Thank you for the great article! As a mom with special needs kiddos I’m always looking for new ways to strengthen their fine motor skills!
I’m glad you found it helpful. 🙂 This may be a simple but it packs a lot of punch in the fne motor skills department. Household items such as tongs and coin banks are also good for fine motor development. You could also try those. My nephew loves playing with them. 😊
For sure! I think it’s a must-have toy for all toddlers. 😊
Great toy ideas!! I’ll have to look into for my little!
Nice… Very helpfu…
Thank you! 😊
This toy is really good! I recommend wooden ones or even the cardboard type. I say the sturdier, the better, so it can last long. 🙂 I hope your cousin enjoys it. 😊
Will share this to my grandmother to purchase for my baby cousin
I’m glad you picked up something from the post. 🙂 Personally, I love the fact that lacing toys develop patience and perseverance. Oh, and thank you so much for your side note. I really appreciate it. 😊
Hi Nessy, I didn’t know about all the benefits that it had! Very interesting. Thank you!
(Side note: your blog design is super cute! 😀
My wife has some of these too, but thick page type, not wood. They are great for little ones, like in church where they can have something to do and still be quiet. They are a good idea!
Thick boards make good material for a lacing toy. It makes the toy sturdier so it can withstand whatever “torture” children, especially toddlers, would do with them. And you’re right, lacing toys are especially good for quiet moments.
Yes! This was like the outside of a story book type material and then she had some that were cloth! Great little “toys”!
This is actually my sister’s go-to toy when she wants my nephew to be “busy” so she can also be busy with other chores. This toy is really a blessing to all mommies. 🙂