When Do Kids Learn to Tie Shoes? Does This Skill Still Matter?

The main benefits of children developing these skills can be summed up into five main categories: daily life, academic development, cognitive development, social skills, and self-esteem.
The first and most obvious is that they are essential to daily life. Tying shoelaces, buttoning clothes, zipping up jackets, and so on are pretty critical to getting through each day. They also help children become more independent.

Academic performance is also enhanced when children focus on developing these skills. Think about how much time a young child spends cutting with scissors, writing, painting or drawing, using rulers, etc. during lessons at school or projects at home.

As you demonstrated how to tie a shoe for your kids and helped walk them through the steps, you were also enhancing their cognitive development. At the same time they were making bunny ears, looping laces, and pulling laces, they were listening to, understanding, remembering, and following instructions. That’s a cognitive and motor skill task all in one.

Fine motor skills also help with social interactions. The better the fine motor skills a child has, the more they can participate in arts and crafts, board games, Lego build sessions, and other interactive occasions with other children. This also helps build the ability to work in teams!

Lastly, there’s the self-esteem and confidence aspects. Each time a child learns to do something new, it’s another win. One win at a time, they slowly build up to the independent, capable, and confident kid every parent hopes their child will be.

While there’s many milestones for parents to keep track of – even during pregnancy (remember the first time you heard your baby’s heartbeat? Or felt your baby kick for the first time?) – here’s a few of those fine motor skills milestones to watch for. Keep in mind that YES each child is different, so these are general guidelines. But if you have any concerns about your child developing and performing these tasks adequately, don’t be shy about asking for expert help. A little bit of therapy, even done at home, can make a world of difference for a child!

Age 2

By age 2, most children have moved beyond the baby stage and can turn the pages of a book, use crayons to scribble, and build a tower with blocks. They will also begin to solve simple puzzles and use utensils (complete with all the messes!). Young children learn about their word chiefly by experiencing it, so make sure they have lots of opportunities to explore!

Age 3

Your baby isn’t a baby anymore! Around age 3, you should notice that your child can undress themselves (perhaps at inopportune times – ask me how I know), are progressing in their art skills by drawing circles and crisscrosses, and improving on their use of utensils. They’ll also start to solve slightly more complicated puzzles.

Age 4

By age 4 most children are showing greater coordination and control with crayons, pencils, safety scissors, and other art supplies when working on creative tasks like a happy anniversary coloring page  or in a Pokémon coloring book. They’ll get better at teeth brushing, manage smaller buttons, and perhaps begin to tie shoelaces. These are all great skills for preparing children for school.

Age 5

Age 5 is exciting because by this age most kids are starting school and rapidly progressing in their fine motor skills. They may be able to write their own name, dress and undress on their own, fold paper, and create more detailed works of art. (They also love to ask endless questions like what rhymes with taco!)

Again, these are just generalizations. Each child develops at different rates, sometimes advancing rapidly, then remaining steady for a while before another leap. But it is fun to keep a chart of some kind on hand to check off these skills as you see them emerge in your child!