Coat On at the Park
What you need
- their small coat, carried with you
- a park or playground
How to do it
- When they feel chilly at the park, stop with them on flat ground, away from the swings and slide.
- Hold their coat open at their back by the shoulders and say "Arms in."
- Let them reach back for one sleeve, then the other, and see what they do.
- Do the zip for them, then back to play.
Why it matters
Holding the coat still at their back leaves their arms free to find the sleeves.
What they're learning
- Dressing
- Finding a sleeve at their back and pushing an arm through.
- Reaching back
- Feeling for the sleeve without seeing it.
- Doing it themselves
- Their coat, their arms, your zip.
What to look for
Notice them bending an arm back to feel for the sleeve before you guide it.
A tip
Do the coat in one place, out of the way of swings and other children running past, and keep them with you until the zip is done. For the flip, choose a dry, clear patch of grass well away from the swings.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: guide the first hand into its sleeve and let them find the second
Harder: lay the coat open on a dry, clear patch of grass away from the swings, hood by their toes, and let them try the coat flip with you beside them
