Summer Camp Shoe-Tying Checklist for Kids Who Still Can't Tie Shoes

If your child is going to summer camp and still cannot tie their shoes, do not panic. The goal is not to force full independence in one stressful weekend. The goal is to make sure your child has safe shoes for camp, a simple practice plan, and the right support if they are ready to learn.

I am Bobby Morong, a special education teacher and the inventor of Training Ties. Summer camp is one of the moments when shoe tying suddenly becomes urgent: kids are away from home, changing activities, running outside, and trying to keep up with peers. This checklist gives you the practical version: what to pack, what to practice, and what not to worry about.

The short answer for summer camp

If camp starts soon, send your child in shoes they can manage safely. That might mean lace-up shoes with support, elastic-lace backups, or a Velcro pair for certain activities. But if your child is ready to learn real laces, summer is a strong window because mornings are less rushed and practice can happen in short, calm sessions.

Use this simple rule: camp shoes should be safe today, while summer practice builds the skill for tomorrow.

What shoes should a child wear to summer camp if they cannot tie yet?

For active camp days, choose the shoe your child can keep secure without constant adult help. Loose laces are a fall risk, especially during running, climbing, field games, and playground time.

• Best safety choice: a pair your child can put on and keep secure independently.
• Best learning choice: a lace-up sneaker used for short practice sessions at home.
• Best compromise: send a backup pair and practice real laces outside camp hours.

If your child uses Velcro or no-tie laces right now, that is not failure. It is a short-term accommodation. The key is not letting the accommodation quietly become the only plan.

The 7-point summer camp shoe-tying checklist

1. Pack one pair your child can manage without panic

Camp is not the place to test a brand-new skill under pressure. Your child should have at least one reliable pair they can put on, tighten, and keep on without needing repeated adult rescue.

2. Practice on a real shoe, not only a board

Practice boards can help with sequencing, but they do not always transfer to real shoes. Real sneakers move, collapse, and sit at a different angle. For carryover, practice on the same kind of shoes your child actually wears.

3. Use two-color laces if directions get confusing

Two-color laces reduce language confusion. Instead of saying “this lace goes over that lace,” you can say “red over blue.” This is especially useful for kids who struggle with left/right language, working memory, or visual tracking.

4. Keep practice to five minutes

Five calm minutes beats twenty frustrated minutes. Summer gives you more chances to practice, not a license to turn shoe tying into a daily battle. End before the child melts down or quits.

5. Teach backward from the last step

Backward chaining means you complete most of the sequence and let your child finish the final step. Then, over time, you hand off one earlier step at a time. This is powerful because the child ends every session with a finished bow and a real success.

For the full teaching method, read the backward chaining shoe-tying guide.

6. Stop the lace-collapse problem

Many kids know the next step but cannot keep the laces stable long enough to do it. That is where shoe tying falls apart. A scaffold like Training Ties holds progress at the hard moments so the child does not have to restart from zero every time the loop collapses.

7. Tell the camp what support your child needs

You do not need a long explanation. A simple note is enough: “My child is practicing shoe tying this summer. If laces come untied during camp, please help once for safety, but we are practicing at home.” If your child has an IEP, 504, or OT plan, keep the language consistent with that support.

A 10-minute camp-week practice plan

If camp starts next week, do not try to master every step at once. Use this plan:

1. Days 1-2: Practice the first knot only. Stop after three good attempts.
2. Days 3-4: Add bunny ears or the final pull-tight step using backward chaining.
3. Day 5: Practice on the actual camp shoe, but only for five minutes.
4. Weekend: Try one full sequence with a scaffold. End on a win even if the adult helps.

If your child is not ready, shift to foundation work. The summer fine-motor activities guide gives you practical games that build the skills underneath shoe tying.

What if my child is embarrassed at camp?

Embarrassment is real. Kids notice when peers can do something they cannot do yet. Avoid turning this into a shame spiral. Use calm language: “You are learning it. For camp, we are making sure your shoes are safe. At home, we will practice in small steps.”

This keeps safety and skill-building separate. Your child does not have to prove independence in front of everyone to keep learning.

When camp exposes a bigger shoe-tying delay

If your child is 8, 9, or 10 and still cannot tie shoes, camp may be the moment the delay becomes obvious. That does not mean something is wrong with your child. It usually means the task is asking for more fine motor control, bilateral coordination, sequencing, or frustration tolerance than your child has available right now.

• My 8-year-old can't tie shoes
• My 9-year-old still can't tie shoes
• My 10-year-old can't tie shoes

For kids with autism, ADHD, sensory differences, dyspraxia, Down syndrome, or fine motor delays, use a more specific plan. Start with the autism and fine motor shoe-tying guide or the sensory-friendly shoe-tying guide.

Summer camp vs. back-to-school practice

Summer camp is about immediate safety and confidence. Back-to-school is about daily independence. If camp is the wake-up call, use the rest of summer to build a quiet routine before school starts.

Next step: follow the back-to-school shoe-tying checklist after camp ends. It gives you a longer runway for August and September.

How Training Ties fits summer camp prep

Training Ties is not a replacement for tying shoes. It is a training scaffold for real laces on real shoes. The checkpoints help hold the laces in place at the exact moments kids usually lose the knot or loop. That lets your child pause, think, and finish the step instead of starting over again and again.

For families sending a child to camp, the practical setup is simple: use safe shoes for the camp day, and use Training Ties at home for short practice sessions on the shoes your child actually wears.

FAQ

Should my child wear Velcro shoes to summer camp if they cannot tie shoes?

If Velcro is the safest independent option right now, yes. Use it as a camp safety choice, not as the whole long-term plan. Practice real laces separately at home when your child is calm.

Can a child learn to tie shoes in one week before camp?

Some kids can, but many cannot. A better goal is one week of calm progress: first knot, loops, final pull, and confidence. Rushing often creates more resistance.

What is the best shoe-tying method before summer camp?

The bunny ears method plus backward chaining is often easiest for kids under time pressure. Use two-color laces if your child gets confused by verbal directions.

What if my child's laces keep coming untied at camp?

Make sure the camp has a backup plan for safety, then practice lace tension at home. A scaffold can help the child learn how tight the knot needs to feel without repeated failure.

Does Training Ties work for camp shoes?

Training Ties works on real lace-up sneakers, so it can be used on the same style of shoes your child wears to camp. For camp itself, use whatever setup keeps your child safe and confident; use Training Ties for practice if your child is ready to learn real laces.