Whose Coat Fits?
What you need
- their own small coat
- a grown-up's coat from the coat hook
- a soft toy in a little jacket, or a baby's cardigan
How to do it
- Lay the coats out on the floor side by side: the grown-up one, theirs and the tiny one.
- Ask your child to try on the grown-up coat first. Too big! Then try the tiny jacket against them: too small.
- Then their own coat: just right. Start the zip at the bottom for them and let them pull it all the way up.
- Hang the coats back on the hooks in size order, biggest first.
Why it matters
After a coat that trails on the floor and one that won't go past an elbow, their own feels just right, and pulling the zip up themselves is the bit that counts.
What they're learning
- Too big, too small
- Trying the wrong sizes first, then the one that fits.
- Coat on and zipped
- Arms in, then pulling the zip up once it's started.
- Hanging up
- Each coat back on its hook, in order.
What to look for
Notice them holding the bottom of the zip still while they pull up.
A tip
Play it when you're not about to go out, so there's time to try the zip without rushing.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: lay their coat flat, hood by their feet, and show them the flip-over way to get it on
Harder: let them try starting the zip themselves, with your hands over theirs
