Teach Your Child Responsibility and Boost Confidence with this Simple Daily Task: Folding Napkins and Clothes

As parents, we all want our children to become responsible and confident individuals. It can be challenging to find the right approach to teaching these values, but sometimes, the simplest tasks can make a big impact. One such task that can help your child develop responsibility and confidence is folding napkins and clothes. Not only is it a practical skill, but it also promotes organization and attention to detail. In this blog post, we will explore how this simple daily task can benefit your child and provide tips for making it a positive experience for everyone involved.

Folding Napkins and Clothes

Suitable Age: 3+

Materials: 

• The tray consists of :
  • 5 napkins (each napkin has different stitched lines)

Direct Aim:

• To fold napkins in different types of folds

Indirect Aim:

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

Presentation/ Child instruction: 

1. Show the child where to find the tray on the shelf and invite him to carry it to the table. Indicate where he is to place the tray on the table. Once you are both seated, remove the first napkin from the tray, and bring the child’s attention to the stitched line.
2. Using the first two fingers of your right hand, trace the stitched line, from left to right.
3. Using the first two fingers and thumb (of both hands), pick up the top or bottom corners of the material and fold to match the top/bottom corners and edges.
4. Now, smooth folded edge using two fingers to trace, moving left to right. Unfold the napkin and allow the child to follow the same steps you just showed him.
5. After the child has folded the napkin, invite him to slide the folded napkin up to the top left side of the table.
6. Repeat the same steps to fold the 6 remaining napkins. Always trace, fold, and smooth either from left to right and/or top to bottom.
7. After you have demonstrated the folding pattern to the child, offer him a turn before moving the napkins into the line of folded napkins.
8. Once all the napkins are folded and in line, invite the child to unfold each napkin before placing it back onto the tray (indicate to the child that he will start to unfold the napkins beginning with the last one folded). Side down, open, smooth out, and return it to the tray.
9. Now that all the napkins are back on the tray, invite the child to fold the napkins again. If he declines, invite him to return the tray to its location on the shelf.

Point of interest:

• Folding the napkins along stitched lines, the raised stitches, the different stitching, and the shapes made when folding

Control of Error: 

• Difficulty using stitched lines to make folds
• Napkins not placed back on to tray in the correct order
• Edges not matched or superimposed
• Difficulty following the sequence

>> Read more: Teach Your Child Responsibility and Boost Confidence with this Simple Daily Task: Folding Clothes