Clothes in a Line
What you need
- their clothes for the day
- a clear bit of floor space
How to do it
- Lay their clothes out on the floor in a line, in the order they go on: pants, trousers, socks, top.
- Ask your child to start at one end and put each thing on, moving along the line.
- Next time, put two of them in the wrong order and ask which one needs to move.
- Then let them lay the line out themselves, and ask why socks go on before shoes.
Why it matters
A line on the floor turns getting dressed into steps in order, and they can see what comes next without being told.
What they're learning
- Getting dressed
- Pulling up, pushing through, tugging on, one thing at a time.
- First and next
- Working along a line in order.
- Fixing the order
- Seeing that the top came before the pants and swapping them round.
What to look for
Notice them looking along the line to check what comes next before they pick it up.
A tip
Clothes with big neck holes and stretchy waists make the job theirs. Turn everything the right way out before you lay it down.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: lay out just three things and help with each one
Harder: let them choose the clothes from the drawer and lay the whole line out themselves
