What are Dressing Frames and should you buy them?
"Among the school material small children enjoy most are the frames with two pieces of cloth – some have buttons and buttonholes, others ribbons, hooks and eyes, and shoe buttons – and it is delightful to watch the toddlers doing up buttons and tying bows with tremendous concentration." - Dr. Maria Montessori, Maria Montessori Speaks to Parents
Dressing frames are a fantastic way to help children practice self-dressing. They offer children a way to practice real dressing closures - velcro, buttons, zippers, shoelaces, etc. in an easy format.
Children lay the dressing frames on the table in front of them, rather than trying to work the closures while the item of clothing is on their body.
Dressing frames also allow children to practice these skills at their own pace - during non-transition times. They can take their time with it.
While they are useful to help children with self-dressing, you do not need them for the home!
Here are 4 at-home alternatives to dressing frames:
1. Opening and Closing Exploration Basket
Look for small bags and containers (little coin purses, wallets, little drawstring bags, small makeup bag with zipper, velcro snack bags, etc.) with different closures and put them in a basket.
This is always a favourite in the classroom all year, every year. You can even hide little treasures inside for your child to discover when they open each bag.
This is always a favourite in the classroom all year, every year. You can even hide little treasures inside for your child to discover when they open each bag.
2. Your Child’s Own Clothes
Give your child time to practice opening and closing velcro on their shoes, opening and closing zippers on their jackets, buttoning and unbuttoning sweaters, etc. off of their bodies.
You can put them on the floor in front of your child and demonstrate how to open and close them.
Practicing in this way gives your child full view of the clothing, whereas when they’re wearing it they’re looking at it from above and can’t fully see all the different parts.
3. Busy Books
Busy books are great for developing self-dressing skills because they offer interactive, hands-on opportunities for children to practice fastening buttons, zippers, toggles, etc. in a fun and engaging way.
4. Dressing Dolls and Stuffed Animals
Dressing up dolls and stuffed animals will allow your child to practice with various fastenings in a way they will probably enjoy.
You can start by offering socks, underwear, or t-shirts on medium or larger stuffed animals.
The process of dressing a doll or stuffed animal also encourages role play, helping children understand the purpose of dressing while developing fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and patience.
The "Real" Practice
The reality is that there’s no better way for a child learning how to get dressed than by providing them with A LOT of time and opportunity to practice dressing themselves.
Whenever possible, slow down transitions that involve getting dressed until your child has mastered them.
When your child starts to show an interest in dressing themselves, invite them to participate. They don’t need to know how to do it entirely on their own, you can work together.
For example: When doing up the zipper on their jacket, get it started for them and invite them to pull it up the rest of the way.
Age-Appropriate Expectations
What’s important to remember is that these skills have to be practiced. There’s no magical age where children suddenly learn to do up their own zipper or tie their shoes.
They have to have strong, coordinated fine motor skills first and the more they practice, the sooner they will be able to do it independently.
