Children develop visual motor skills in early childhood and elementary school years. Visual motor integration, also called eye-hand coordination, is the ability to make our hands and limbs move in the way we want, based on how we interpret the world with our eyes. At an early age, children learn how to coordinate the big and small muscles in their body with guidance from their vision. With practice, they learn to integrate their visual and motor systems to complete everyday tasks. Children with good visual motor skills are able to stack blocks, accurately cut and fold paper, button and zip fasteners, write legibly, and catch and throw a ball well. Underlying skills such as visual perception and movement of the eyes play a big part in facilitating good visual motor skills for independence in so many daily activities of childhood.
Difficulties with visual motor skills may not be apparent until children are challenged to do these activities. Challenges with copying shapes and letters, messy handwriting, difficulty dressing and trying shows, and decreased eye-hand coordination in sports may be the first signs of problems with visual motor skills.
Below are some activities that can help all children integrate and improve their visual motor skills at home in a fun way!
However you use the activities in this blog, I hope it brings you some comfort to know you are not alone. We are all in our separate corners of the community, living similar struggles right now. When we can share resources, even virtually, we can stay connected and support each other through this tough time.
Please email us at to learn more about individual sessions for yourself, as parents struggling to re-invent the daily life of our family in your many roles OR to inquire about 1:1 virtual OT or SLP visits for your child, typically covered by your health plan at no cost to you. Find us on Facebook at @BostonSensorySolutions or online at www.BostonSensorySolutions.com
