When Can Kids Learn to Button and Zip
March 18, 2022
When can kids learn to button and zip?
Most milestone checklists show that children should be able to dress themselves around kindergarten age, ie. 5 - 6 years old. This includes buttoning and zipping their clothing. Around 1 1/2 years old children begin experimenting with buttons and zippers, and by the age of 6 are doing both well.
There may be factors limiting a child's ability to button and zip such as:
- difficulty with hand-eye coordination
- fine motor coordination
- bilateral coordination
- sensory processing
- motor planning & sequencing
Why should parents care about this?
- This is a foundational skill set for self-dressing which is an activity of daily living. This is a skill that needs to be mastered as we get dressed and undressed every day of our lives. In occupational therapy, we strive for independence in self-dressing and manipulating basic fasteners is a big part of independence.
- Often if a child isn't meeting these developmental milestones, it leads to other areas that are lacking such as low muscle tone in hands, lack of fine motor dexterity, struggles with in hand manipulation and many of the topics listed above.
Why is this important?
It is important to take note that every child develops and progresses at their own rate, but it can be helpful to understand some developmental milestones and what natural progression is.
Research shows:
- At 1 1/2 to 2 years old a child can unzip with a large tab and pull a large zipper up if an adult holds the bottom tight.
- At 2 years old a child can unbutton large 1in buttons.
- At 2 1/2 to 3 years old a child can button 3 large 1in buttons. They can also unzip and unsnap clothing while wearing it.
- At 3 to 4 1/2 years old a child can close front snaps on clothing, and can button and unbutton while wearing front opening clothing.
- At 4 1/2 to 5 years old a child can open all fasteners on any article of clothing.
- At 5 to 6 years old a child can hook, zip and unzip while wearing the clothing.
Tips to help your child:
- If your child is struggling to button you can do activities such as: (Resources can be found at https://therapyfunzone.net/blog/?s=button)
- Make a button snake
- Play connect 4
- Push buttons into slots
- There is a difference between buttoning with a shirt on you and on the table. If your child is struggling with buttoning, try putting the shirt on the table to button before having them put it on. Start with larger buttons, then work to smaller buttons.
- It is often difficult to get a zipper aligned in its tracks, some ideas to increase visual awareness are to use two different colored tracks to increase visual awareness. Also practice with using a pipe cleaner to increase visual contrast.
If you have concerns regarding your child's ability to dress themselves, or want to learn more about strategies to use at home to help your child with buttoning and zipping, please consult with your pediatrician or a licensed occupational therapist for further guidance and support.
Thank you to Mr. Justin, occupational therapy assistant and member of PMC's pediatric occupational therapy team, for sharing his knowledge of independent dressing, specifically buttoning and zipping! Your tips are appreciated and helpful!
Getting a selective eater to try new foods is a process. Keep in mind that the goal is to provide your child with the opportunity to be exposed to new foods. Continue to introduce them to unfamiliar foods, have them see that you eat and enjoy them, all the while making sure they have safe foods that they know they can count on. Giving your child permission helps to reduce anxiety around new foods. Inviting your child to be around and try new foods is a very different experience than forcing them to try new foods.
With summer here, your kiddos are likely on a constant hunt for snacks. To help them develop healthy eating habits, try spacing meals and snacks about two hours apart. This gives their little tummies time to feel hungry, enjoy a snack, and recognize when they’re full. When kids “graze” throughout the day—eating small amounts here and there—their bodies have a harder time learning to recognize hunger and fullness cues. Grazing can also lead to more frequent choices of less nutritious, grab-and-go snacks. Let's Support Healthier Habits To support healthier habits, pre-plan snack options and post a visual snack “menu” on the fridge. This gives kids structure, helps them feel independent, and encourages better choices. And why not make snack time fun and educational? Try simple food crafts together—it’s a great way to bond with your child(ren), have fun in the kitchen, and explore possible new foods at the same time! UNDER THE SEA: Shark Snack Cups from Mommy's Fabulous Finds Festive treat made with yogurt, jello, cool whip, graham crackers and optional gummy shark Shark Week Bait from Alex Daynes A lighter treat that includes popcorn, white chocolate chips, f ood coloring/sprinkles, Sixlet Candies, gummy sharks, and pretzel goldfish Candy Sushi from Happy Family Recipes Themed snack made with Rice Krispie Treats (butter, marshmallows, vanilla, Rice Krispie Cereal) Fruit Roll-Ups, large Swedish fish, mini Swedish Fish BEACH + ANIMAL THEMES: Beach Bear Dirt Cups from Made To Be A Momma Celebrate summer with pool inspired lounging! Ingredients include: Teddy Grahams, white chocolate pudding, milk, cool whip, graham crackers, gummy life savers Curious George Snack from Mess for Less (tip, Read a Curious George book to go along with this one!) Enjoy a book and a snack with this Curious George inspired snack! Ingredients include: Nutella, s liced bananas, b lueberries, r ice cakes Animal Tracks Snacks from Loreen Leedy Great snack for the outdoorsy kid who enjoys animals! You can use a variety of ingredients including: cheese, crackers, pretzels, cream cheese, almonds and pepperoni FOR THE NATURE LOVER: Nature Snacks : Edible Crafts for Kids - Parties With A Cause A large variety of snacks for nature lover of all kinds including all sorts of flora and fauna options! POPSICLES: Fresh Fruit Popsicles from One Little Project How to Make Fruit Popsicles with Real, Fresh Fruit Strawberry Breakfast Popsicles from Fraiche Living We can imagine all sorts of variations of this recipe! Start with the following simple ingredients: yogurt, fresh strawberries, milk (or your choice) lemon juice and granola Frozen Yogurt Banana Pops from Kalejunkie Such a simple, yet festive recipe that uses ingredients commonly found in the kitchen such as bananas, yogurt and sprinkes! FOOD IMPOSTERS: Pancake Donuts from Balanced with Babies Made with just two ingredients: pancake mix and milk! You will need a fun donut shaped mold for this recipe Breakfast Banana Split - Art From My Table Ingredients include: banana, yogurt, blackberries, raspberries, granola, mini chocolate chips Fruit Cracker Pizzas from Sunshine & Hurricanes Crackers + cream cheese + fruit! Watermelon Rice Krispy Treats from My Heavenly Recipes Festive treat to be shared! Made with butter, marshmallows, R ice Krispies, food coloring and chocolate chips
What is kyphosis? Can I prevent it? Can I address the symptoms? Can a physical therapist at the Pediatric Movement Center help? We'll answer all these questions and more it today's blog post!
Think your child is "just" clumsy? They may have Developmental Coordination Disorder, DCD, an infrequently known, but very treatable condition that affects 5%-6% of school aged children! Medical specialists, such as pediatric physical therapists, pediatric occupational therapists, and neurologists can help address the underlying nervous system and muscular issues contributing to DCD.
Bilateral Coordination
Exposing children to food through various activities like cooking, coloring and sensory play/projects enhances their understanding of food, leading to healthier eating habits. Try a sensory project, like making snacklaces!
