Are you looking for fine motor activities for the beginning of the school year? These Back to School Lacing Cards are just what you need!

Lacing cards are a fun tool to have in your preschool and kindergarten classroom! Not only are they engaging, but they help kids to develop and improve fine motor skills too.

As your students thread the yarn through the holes, they’re practicing important hand-eye coordination and dexterity, which are essential for writing.

The repetitive motion of lacing helps strengthen the small muscles in their hands and fingers, giving them better control.

Plus, lacing cards can also help with concentration and focus, as your kids need to pay attention to the process.

Getting Ready to Use the Back to School Lacing Cards:

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What’s Included:

8 Back to School Lacing Cards

What Else Is Needed:

White Card Stock or Colored Card Stock
Scissors
Laminator
Laminating Sheets
Hole Puncher
Yarn or Shoelace

To prepare this fine motor activity for your students, fill out the form below.

Next, download and print the colored cards on white card stock. Or, print the black and white cards on colored card stock.

Then, laminate the cards and cut them out. Finally, punch a hole on all of the circles.

How to Use the Back to School Lacing Cards:

To begin this activity, your students will thread a piece of yarn or a shoelace through one of the holes.

To help your students, you can tie on end of the yarn or shoelace through one of the holes. Or, tape the end to the back to the card.

You can also put a piece of tape around the end of the yarn, so it is easier for them to thread.

Your kids will then continue putting the yarn or shoelace back and forth through all the holes until they go around the entire card.

Adding these Back to School Lacing Cards into your activities is a way to support your students’ fine motor development while keeping them entertained and engaged!

Tips for Using Lacing Cards

Make your lacing activity for kindergarten even more engaging with these simple ideas.

Talk About the Pictures

Encourage vocabulary development by discussing each school-themed picture before students begin lacing.

Ask questions like:

What is this?
How do we use it at school?
What color is it?
Have you used one before?

Practice Direction Words

Use positional vocabulary while students lace.

Examples include:

Up
Down
Through
Around
Next
Over
Under

Frequently Asked Questions:

What age should children start using lacing cards?

Many children are ready for simple lacing cards around ages 2½–3 with supervision. Preschool and kindergarten students typically enjoy more detailed designs that offer additional fine motor practice.

What skills do lacing cards develop?

Lacing cards help develop:

Fine motor skills
Hand-eye coordination
Bilateral coordination
Finger strength
Concentration
Pencil control
Visual motor integration

Are lacing cards good for preschoolers?

Yes! Lacing cards for preschoolers are an excellent way to build the hand strength and coordination needed before learning to write.

Can kindergarten students still benefit from lacing cards?

Absolutely. A lacing activity for kindergarten reinforces fine motor skills while also supporting classroom themes, literacy activities, and independent work routines.

How long should students spend lacing?

Most preschool and kindergarten students stay engaged for 5–15 minutes, making lacing cards an excellent center activity.

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More Back to School Activities:

Are you looking for more school-themed activities for your students? Check out these books and literacy resources.

Back to School Books:

Get your preschoolers and kindergartners ready for the beginning of the school year with these fun picture books!

First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg

The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! by Mo Willems

If You Take a Mouse to School by Laura Numeroff

Back to School Literacy Activities:

Your students can work on letter recognition, matching, and much more with these themed activities.

Back to School Lacing Cards