Shoes by the Door

What you need

• a few pairs of shoes without laces, like slippers, wellies or shoes with a strap
• the doormat

How to do it

1. Gather a few pairs of shoes from around the house into a pile on the floor.
2. Pick up one shoe, say whose it is, and put it on the mat by the door.
3. Hand them the next one and point to the mat.
4. Say 'big shoe' or 'little shoe' as each one lands, and put their own shoes next to yours.

Why it matters

Taking shoes to the door is a job they see every day, and putting their own next to yours makes it theirs too.

What they're learning

Carrying

Walking with something held in both hands.

Big and little

A grown-up's shoe next to theirs makes the difference easy to see.

Helping

A job with a place for everything.

What to look for

Notice them setting their own shoe down next to a big one.

A tip

Use clean, dry shoes without laces and clear the floor between the pile and the mat. A new walker holding something in both hands can't put a hand out if they topple, so keep the walk short.

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