Dressing and undressing

How to help your child learn to dress and undress

Helping your child acquire basic dressing and undressing skills will help them at school and make getting out in the mornings less stressful.

Hand strength

Hand and finger strength is important because it is required for many everyday activities such as doing up buttons and zips, climbing on playground equipment or cutting up food at meal times. It also helps to develop the endurance to complete activities such as writing and using scissors. Muscle strength of the hands and fingers increases as children grow and participate in these activities. It is best if you encourage your child to do every day activities by herself and only assist if necessary

Useful websites and links

Techniques to teach your toddler how to get dressed (YouTube video)
An OT video to support you in helping your child become independent with dressing and undressing.

How to help your child and have fun
This video is a general guide to helping your child learn skills such as dressing and using cutlery. It uses the framework of: Goal, plan, do, check.

Tying shoe laces
Many children struggle to learn how to tie shoe laces. Here are links to some useful videos that you can watch with your child. Look for the method you think will suit your child best and focus on that one.

Ian’s shoelace site
Learn traditional and adapted types of knots to tie your shoelaces in simple and basic steps, with lots of visual supports. Whether you're after shoelace tying speed, simplicity, security or style, there are 18 different shoelace knots to choose from, including several that Ian, the creator of the website, has created himself.

Pinterest
Lots of activities and strategies to help children dress and undress independently

OT plan
OTPlan helps you find children’s occupational therapy activity ideas to help support your child’s development. You can search by skill or material. Each activity details the purpose, materials needed, process, and how-to images.

Inspired treehous
Practical advice and activities to help your child learn to dress and undress independently.

I can do it myself
This Canadian leaflet is designed to support dressing and other daily living skills for children with one-arm weakness

Easy On Easy Wear clothing
A number of high street stores and supermarkets provide a range of affordable easy on clothing for children with sensory preferences and physical needs.