Empower Your Child’s Independence with Dressing Frame: Knots and Bows

As parents, we always want the best for our children. We want them to grow up to be confident, independent individuals who can handle any challenge that comes their way. One way to help them achieve this is by empowering them with skills that promote their independence. Dressing is a fundamental activity that children need to learn, and it plays a crucial role in promoting their independence. In this blog post, we will explore one tool that can help your child develop independence in dressing – the dressing frame for knots and bows. Stay tuned to learn more about how this tool can help your child become more self-reliant and confident in their dressing skills.

Dressing Frame: Knots and Bows

Suitable Age: 4+

Materials: 

• The knots and blows dressing frame

Direct Aim:

• To tie a know and a bow independently

Indirect Aim:

• Refining of the muscles in the hand
• Concentration
• Hand-eye coordination
• Independence
• Fine motor skills
• Order of sequence

Presentation/ Child instruction: 

1. Once you are both seated, reach for the very top bow ( making sure not to block the visibility of the child).
2. Using two hands, begin to untie the bow, pulling the ribbons to either side. After untying two or three bows, give the child an opportunity to try.
3. When all bows have been untied, start at the top, and release the knot, using the index finger like a hook and pulling the knot loose. Place the ribbons on either side again.
4. Invite the child to try after you have untied two or three knots.
5. Once all knots have been released, allow the child to open the fabric (you will indicate to the child which side to start with remembering the economy of movement). The child knows how to handle the fabric on the frame from previous lessons. This will show the child that once all the knots and bows have been removed, the fabric opens easily. After the child has closed the fabric, begin by first picking up the ribbons at the top and slowly crossing them; repeat the process with the remaining bows, allowing the child to try after two or three. The idea is to make sure when the ribbons are crossed that all the red ribbons are on one side and all the white ribbons are on the opposite side. The next step is to begin to tie the ribbons together (1 red with 1 white).
6. The child should be given an opportunity to try each step after you have shown two or three. Once all bows have been tired, offer her the opportunity to use the frame again independently. If she declines, invite her to take the frame back to its place on the hook.

Point of interest:

• The colors ribbons and fabric, tying a bow, and becoming independent.

Control of Error: 

• Unable to line up the same color ribbons to one side
• Forgetting the sequence
• Unable to untie/tie the knot
• Unable to tie a bow

>> Read more: Empower Your Child’s Independence with Dressing Frame: Lacing