Hand-eye co-ordination is the ability to do activities that require the use of our hands and eyes simultaneously. It is also one of the many fundamental skills learned during early childhood development.
As a parent, there are many ways you can assist in the development of your child’s Hand-Eye co-ordination. Here are a few activities you can do at home:
1. Drawing
Drawing encourages your child to make the connection between what they are doing to what they see. This will come in handy later in life when your child begins taking part in sports as well as learning to write.
Have your child practice drawing shapes or other objects while looking at it. Consistent practice will also help in the development of their fine motor skills.
2. Threading and Lacing
Threading and lacing are both fine motor activities with a large eye-hand coordination element. Equally, both are great for developing concentration and practising controlled movements.
Start off with chunky beads and thick laces and gradually work your way down to smaller beans and thinner string to challenge your little one as their skills develop.
3. Backyard Bowling
Make your own bowling pins by filling recycled plastic bottles with some water. For some extra fun, you could have your child paint them with all sorts of fun shapes and colours. Place the pins in a row or the classic triangle formation and take turns trying to knock them over.
As your child gets the hang of their aim, switch out the bottles with others of varying sizes.
4. Puzzles
Along with developing fine motor skills, puzzles are a great way to help in developing hand-eye coordination. Puzzles require a lot of trial and error, requiring a child to move and manipulate the piece into place.
What makes it even better is that they aren't just for kids. There is a puzzle out there for everyone, making this activity perfect for you and your child to take on together.
Some puzzles like the Goryeo Baby 4 in 1 Magnetic Puzzle give your child the opportunity to work on their Hand-eye coordination.
5. Egg and Spoon race
A classic and simple game that the whole family can play! A few rounds of running back and forth with their egg and spoon will have your little ones learning hand control in an environment that is fun and exciting!
This may be one of the easiest activities to set up. Everything you need is already in your kitchen! Grab a large spoon along with an egg for each child. Have each player line up while holding their egg with the spoon. All they have to do from here is race to the finish line without dropping or cracking their egg. If they do, they’ll have to start all over again.
Be sure to boil your eggs beforehand! Unless you’re willing to deal with raw egg all over your backyard or even worse, your freshly cleaned floor!
We hope that you will enjoy playing some of these games with your children in order to help them improve their hand-eye co-ordination. Let them learn while having fun, it’s the easiest way to teach useful skills.
