How can you enhance your hand-eye coordination. What are the most effective drills for improving this crucial skill. Which exercises can boost your visual acuity and reaction time. Discover the secrets to elevating your performance in sports and daily activities.
The Importance of Optimal Vision for Hand-Eye Coordination
Hand-eye coordination is a fundamental skill that impacts performance in various sports and everyday activities. To truly excel, it’s crucial to start with a solid foundation. Dr. Fraser Horn, an instructor of Sports and Recreational Vision at Pacific University, Oregon, emphasizes the importance of optimal vision:
“The better the input, the better the output,” Dr. Horn states. This means that before diving into coordination drills, it’s essential to ensure your eyesight is at its best. Contrary to popular belief, 20/20 vision shouldn’t be the ultimate goal for athletes. Instead, Dr. Horn recommends aiming for 20/15 vision or better, especially for those participating in action sports.
Why is superior vision so critical? It directly impacts reaction time. By seeing better than the average person, athletes can process visual information more quickly, leading to faster and more accurate responses in high-pressure situations.
Steps to Optimize Your Vision
- Schedule a comprehensive eye exam
- Discuss your athletic goals with your optometrist
- Consider specialized eyewear or contact lenses for sports
- Regular check-ups to maintain optimal vision
Can corrective lenses really make a significant difference? Yes, for many athletes, new glasses or contacts can provide an immediate boost in hand-eye coordination, setting the stage for more advanced training.
Catch Your Way to Better Coordination
Once you’ve optimized your vision, it’s time to engage in practical drills. One of the most effective and accessible exercises for improving hand-eye coordination is playing catch. This simple activity offers numerous benefits and can be easily modified to target specific skills.
Basic Catch Drill
Start with a tennis ball and a wall. Toss the ball against the wall and practice catching it with one hand, then switch to the other. This drill helps improve your central vision and reaction time. NFL cornerback Darrelle Revis is known to use this technique to maintain his elite skills.
Advanced Catch Variations
- Multi-ball drill: Use several balls with different colored dots or numbers
- Random selection: Pick up balls at random and toss them in quick succession
- Identification challenge: Try to identify the color or number on each ball as it returns
How does this advanced drill benefit athletes? Dr. Horn explains, “This doesn’t so much help your hands move any differently, but it trains your eye to pick up on details more quickly, which may help you when you’re out on the field. It slows down the game a bit and helps you make better decisions.”
Peripheral Vision Enhancement
To improve peripheral awareness, which is crucial in many sports, modify the catch drill by having a partner throw balls slightly off-center – overhead, to your left, or to your right. This challenges your brain to adapt and react to stimuli outside your direct line of sight.
Dr. Horn highlights the importance of peripheral vision in sports: “In sport, we’re pretty driven by our peripheral awareness, whether it’s eye-hand, eye-foot, or eye-body. If you’re playing ice hockey and you’re aware that you’re about to get smashed into the boards, for example, you can prepare for it by shifting your body so you don’t hit so hard.”
Juggling: The Ultimate Coordination Challenge
For those looking to take their hand-eye coordination to the next level, juggling offers an unparalleled training opportunity. This activity not only enhances peripheral vision but also improves spatial awareness and multi-tasking abilities.
Getting Started with Juggling
- Begin with three beanbags or Hacky Sacks
- Watch online tutorials for proper technique
- Practice regularly, starting with basic patterns
- Gradually increase difficulty as skills improve
Dr. Horn explains the neuroscience behind juggling’s effectiveness: “When you’re juggling, you’re actually looking up to the upper point where the balls cross and your brain is making decisions on where your hands need to move based on that. There’s really no better way to train your eye-hand coordination—we teach it to all of our athletes, from middle schoolers up to professionals.”
Enhancing the Challenge
As your juggling skills progress, it’s important to continually challenge yourself. Here are some ways to increase the difficulty:
- Juggle while standing on a balance board
- Answer math questions while juggling
- Practice with background distractions (TV, radio)
Why add these extra challenges? They help simulate real-life situations where athletes must process multiple stimuli simultaneously, further refining their coordination and decision-making abilities.
Eye Exercises for Rapid Focus Shifting
While gross motor skills are crucial for hand-eye coordination, the eyes themselves play a pivotal role. Dr. Josh Sandell, a sports medicine specialist and conditioning coach, recommends specific eye exercises to enhance the ability to quickly shift focus between near and far objects.
Near-Far Focus Drill
- Select two similarly-sized, detailed objects (e.g., playing cards, book covers)
- Place one object 18 inches away, the other 10 feet away
- Focus on the near object for 5 seconds, studying its details
- Quickly shift focus to the far object for 5 seconds
- Alternate between objects for 1-2 minutes, trying to notice new details each time
How does this exercise benefit athletes? It improves the eyes’ ability to rapidly adjust focus, which is essential in fast-paced sports where players must constantly shift attention between close defenders and distant teammates or targets.
Lateral Focus Shifting
A variation of the near-far drill involves placing two objects at the same distance, one to your left and one to your right. This exercise encourages quick side-to-side focus shifts, enhancing peripheral awareness and reaction time.
Do these seemingly simple exercises really make a difference? Yes, when practiced consistently, they can significantly improve an athlete’s visual processing speed and accuracy, leading to better on-field performance.
The Power of Mindful Practice
While specific drills are essential for improving hand-eye coordination, the mindset with which you approach your training is equally important. Dr. Sandell emphasizes the value of staying conscious and intentional during practice and play.
The “Quiet Eye” Technique
A fascinating study on basketball players revealed a 22% improvement in free-throw percentage through the use of a “quiet eye” technique. But what exactly is the quiet eye, and how can athletes implement it?
- Focus intently on the target (e.g., the basketball hoop) before initiating movement
- Maintain this focus throughout the action
- Keep the eyes steady and “quiet” to minimize distractions
Why does this technique work? By consciously directing and maintaining focus, athletes can filter out distractions and process relevant visual information more effectively, leading to improved accuracy and performance.
Implementing Mindfulness in Training
To incorporate mindfulness into your hand-eye coordination training:
- Set clear intentions before each practice session
- Pay close attention to your visual focus during drills
- Reflect on your performance and make conscious adjustments
- Gradually apply this mindful approach to competitive situations
Can mindfulness really enhance physical skills? Research suggests that by bridging the gap between mental focus and physical action, athletes can achieve a higher level of performance and consistency in their hand-eye coordination.
Integrating Hand-Eye Coordination into Daily Life
While structured drills are invaluable for improving hand-eye coordination, the real key to mastery lies in consistent, everyday practice. By incorporating coordination challenges into your daily routine, you can create a continuous learning environment that enhances your skills even outside of formal training sessions.
Everyday Activities for Coordination Enhancement
- Use your non-dominant hand for routine tasks (e.g., brushing teeth, eating)
- Practice balancing objects while walking
- Engage in precision tasks like threading a needle or building models
- Play video games that require quick reflexes and hand-eye coordination
How do these everyday activities translate to improved athletic performance? By consistently challenging your coordination in various contexts, you’re building a more robust and adaptable skill set that can be applied across different sports and situations.
Technology-Assisted Training
In today’s digital age, there are numerous apps and devices designed to enhance hand-eye coordination. These tools can provide structured training programs and track your progress over time.
Some popular options include:
- Reaction time training apps
- Virtual reality sports simulators
- Interactive light board systems
- Gamified coordination challenges
While these technological aids can be valuable, it’s important to balance screen-based training with real-world, physical activities to ensure well-rounded skill development.
Nutrition and Rest: The Unsung Heroes of Coordination
When discussing how to improve hand-eye coordination, the focus often remains on physical and visual exercises. However, proper nutrition and adequate rest play crucial roles in optimizing performance and facilitating skill development.
Nutritional Considerations for Visual Health
Certain nutrients are essential for maintaining and improving eye health, which directly impacts hand-eye coordination. Key nutrients include:
- Omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts)
- Lutein and Zeaxanthin (abundant in leafy greens and colorful vegetables)
- Vitamin A (present in orange vegetables and dairy products)
- Vitamin C (found in citrus fruits and berries)
- Zinc (available in lean meats, nuts, and whole grains)
How does nutrition affect hand-eye coordination? These nutrients support overall eye health, reduce inflammation, and protect against oxidative stress, all of which contribute to better visual acuity and processing speed.
The Role of Sleep in Skill Consolidation
Quality sleep is not just about rest; it’s a critical period for skill consolidation and neural pathway reinforcement. During deep sleep stages, the brain processes and integrates the new coordination patterns practiced during the day.
To optimize sleep for skill development:
- Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night
- Maintain a consistent sleep schedule
- Create a relaxing bedtime routine
- Avoid screens for at least an hour before bed
- Ensure your sleeping environment is dark, quiet, and cool
Can better sleep really improve hand-eye coordination? Research suggests that consistent, quality sleep can enhance motor skill learning and performance, making it an essential component of any coordination improvement regimen.
Measuring Progress and Setting Goals
As with any skill development, tracking your progress in hand-eye coordination is crucial for maintaining motivation and identifying areas for improvement. By setting clear, measurable goals and regularly assessing your performance, you can ensure that your training efforts are yielding tangible results.
Establishing Baseline Measurements
Before embarking on a focused hand-eye coordination training program, it’s important to establish baseline measurements. This can involve:
- Reaction time tests
- Accuracy assessments in sport-specific tasks
- Visual acuity and peripheral vision evaluations
- Performance metrics in coordination-based games or apps
How often should you reassess your skills? Experts recommend conducting formal assessments every 4-6 weeks, with more frequent informal check-ins to guide your training focus.
Setting SMART Goals
When setting goals for hand-eye coordination improvement, use the SMART criteria:
- Specific: Define exactly what you want to achieve
- Measurable: Ensure you can quantify your progress
- Achievable: Set realistic targets based on your current skill level
- Relevant: Align goals with your overall athletic or personal objectives
- Time-bound: Establish a clear timeframe for achievement
Why is goal-setting so important for skill development? Clear, well-defined goals provide direction and motivation, helping you stay focused and committed to your training regimen over the long term.
Adapting Your Training Plan
As you progress and achieve your initial goals, it’s essential to continually adapt your training plan. This might involve:
- Increasing the difficulty of existing drills
- Introducing new exercises that target specific weaknesses
- Incorporating more sport-specific coordination challenges
- Adjusting the balance between different types of training (e.g., visual exercises vs. physical drills)
By regularly reviewing and adjusting your approach, you can ensure that your hand-eye coordination continues to improve, even as you reach higher levels of proficiency.
How to Improve Hand-Eye Coordination: 4 Easy Drills
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So you want to learn how to improve hand-eye coordination? First, get an eye exam and make sure your eyesight is as good as it can be, says Fraser Horn, OD, an instructor of Sports and Recreational Vision at Pacific University, Oregon. “The better the input, the better the output,” he says. And contrary to popular belief, your goal shouldn’t be 20/20 vision. It should be better.
“We want our athletes to see 20/15 or better,” he says. “If you’re playing an action sport, you should see better than the average person, because that’s going to help reduce your reaction time.” If you’re not there, new glasses or contacts may give you a big boost in hand-eye coordination immediately.
Next, you’ll want to practice drills that improve your central and your peripheral vision, as well as your ability to react quickly and accurately to what you’re seeing. “Your goal is to strengthen those neuromuscular pathways between your eyes, your brain, and your reflexes,” says Horn, “so that eventually you can go straight from input to output, without taking time to think things through.”
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How to Improve Hand-Eye Coordination: Daily Drills
#1 Play Catch
To improve central vision, Horn recommends tossing a tennis ball against a wall and practicing catching it with one hand, and then the other. (It works for Darrelle Revis!) Playing a fast-paced game of catch with a partner can be a great way to boost eye-hand skills, too.
Take it to the pro level by using several balls at once, and put a small dot of color, or a letter or number, on each. Pick up the balls at random and toss them one after another. As they’re coming back toward you, try to pick out which ball is which. “This doesn’t so much help your hands move any differently, but it trains your eye to pick up on details more quickly, which may help you when you’re out on the field,” says Horn. “It slows down the game a bit and helps you make better decisions.”
You can also use catch to improve your peripheral vision. Instead of tossing balls directly at you, your partner should throw them overhead or slightly to your left or right. You’ll miss a lot at first, but as your brain adapts, you’ll get faster.
“In sport, we’re pretty driven by our peripheral awareness, whether it’s eye-hand, eye-foot, or eye-body,” Horn says. “If you’re playing ice hockey and you’re aware that you’re about to get smashed into the boards, for example, you can prepare for it by shifting your body so you don’t hit so hard.”
#2 Learn to Juggle
For even better mastery of what’s in your peripheral field, look up a YouTube tutorial and practice juggling with three beanbags or Hacky Sacks.
“When you’re juggling, you’re actually looking up to the upper point where the balls cross and your brain is making decisions on where your hands need to move based on that,” Horn says. “There’s really no better way to train your eye-hand coordination—we teach it to all of our athletes, from middle schoolers up to professionals. ”
Once you get the hang of that, add in some distractions. “As these drills get easier for athletes, we increase the challenge by putting them on a balance board or asking them math questions,” says Horn. Even having a TV or radio on in the background can help simulate real-life situations in which you’re inundated with stimuli from every direction.
#3 Exercise Your Eyes
Another important part of how to improve hand-eye coordination is the ability to switch your focus quickly between things close to you (like a defender bearing down on you) and far away (like a teammate sending a pass across the field). And you can actually improve this skill by spending a few minutes per day on a simple near-far drill, says Josh Sandell, DC, a sports medicine specialist and conditioning coach.
Take two similarly-sized, detailed objects—like playing cards, book covers, or magazines—and place one about 18 inches away from you and the other about 10 feet away. Focus on the nearer object for five seconds, studying as many details as you can, then switch to the far object. Switch back and forth for a minute or two, each time trying to notice new details.
You can also do similar eye exercises with two objects at the same distance, one to your left and one to your right, to encourage quick shifting of focus from side to side, says Sandell.
#4 Stay Conscious While You Play
Eye-hand coordination probably isn’t something you think about consciously when you head out for a pick-up game or a workout, but it should be, says Sandell. He cites a well-known study about basketball players who improved their free-throw percentage by 22 percent by using a “quiet eye” technique—essentially, focusing on the hoop’s front rim for at least one second before shooting.
“This kind of focus can be incorporated during any form of athletic movement, but it’s got to be conscious—at least at first, until it becomes second-nature and you don’t realize you’re doing it,” says Sandell.
Finally, finding ways to calm your nerves before an athletic performance may benefit your coordination, especially if you’re worried about choking under pressure. And don’t forget about eye-foot and eye-body coordination, which are equally (if not more) important in many sports. Practicing balance and agility drills, and engaging in fast-paced, constantly changing workouts, are your best training tools on that front.
How to Improve Hand-Eye Coordination: Bottom Line
Eye-hand coordination may seem like something you’re either born with or not, but it can also be a learned skill. For more sport-specific drills and suggestions based on your current abilities, ask your eye doctor or a sports vision specialist. (You can find one using the American Optometric Association’s advanced doctor search.)
19 Hand-Eye Coordination Activities for Kids
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Hand-eye coordination, also known as eye-hand coordination, is an important perceptual-motor skill children develop during the early years.
Find out what it is, why it is important to develop and how you can help your children build their coordination with simple games and activities.
What is Hand-Eye Coordination?
Hand-eye coordination is the ability to perform movements with the hands while being guided by the eyes. A child’s hands and sight work together to perform tasks.
Sometimes these tasks need to be done with speed and accuracy, such as when catching a ball.
Some Examples of Hand-Eye Coordination
Here are some hand-eye coordination examples in daily life:
- A baby grasping an object
- Batting the ball in a game of cricket
- Tying your shoelaces
- Writing a sentence
- Brushing your hair
- Making a cup of tea
The Importance of Hand-Eye Coordination in Child Development
Hand-eye coordination is an important skill for functioning in your daily life. A simple task such as making a cup of tea would be difficult if you were not able to aim and pour boiling water.
Not only do we need hand-eye coordination to perform everyday tasks, it is also important for playing sports and learning to read and write at school.
Reading and writing require well-developed visual tracking skills.
Your brain needs to track the position of the pencil and control the hand and finger movements. When reading, your brain is visually tracking as you move from left to right and down to the next line. [source]
How to Improve Your Child’s Hand-Eye Coordination
The development of hand-eye coordination is a process that occurs naturally while children are playing. Learning should always be fun.
You can encourage your children by allowing them large blocks of time to play freely every day, as well as by engaging them in specific outdoor games and activities that develop this skill.
It’s important that these skills are built at an early age since most of this learning takes place by the age of 4. Therefore, early stimulation is crucial.
This post contains affiliate links for educational products that I personally recommend. If you purchase through one of them, I earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Read the terms and conditions for more details.
19 Hand-Eye Coordination Games and Activities
These eye-hand coordination activities and games are simple and quick and exercise the brain’s ability to coordinate the hands and eyes simultaneously.
Do these types of activities daily and you will make a huge impact on your children’s motor development, which will later help them learn to read and write.
1. Throwing and Catching a Ball
Ball activities are probably the best way to develop children’s eye-hand coordination.
You should practise catching and throwing balls often as this is also a skill that will be needed when your children begin playing sports. Alternate throwing with bouncing a ball to each other.
Use different-sized balls such as tennis balls, basketballs, beach balls, etc. Throwing and catching smaller balls requires more advanced skills.
2. Having a Pillow Fight
This is one the kids will love! Throw pillows at each other and work the eyes, hands and laughs at the same time.
3. Threading and Lacing
Threading and lacing are great for developing concentration as well as practising controlled movements. Kids have to coordinate their eyes and fingers carefully in order to do this task.
Make your own lacing cards by using cardboard shapes and punching holes into them or buy a set of lacing cards.
Thread beads onto string or use macaroni and make a necklace.
Threading and lacing are two of the best activities you can do to build fine motor skills.
4. Working in the Garden
Gardening is a good way to get outdoors while developing coordination and general gross motor skills.
All you need is a basic gardening set like this one and you’re set to go.
5. Skittles
Purchase a set of bowling pins or make your own by filling large plastic bottles with some water and painting them in various colours. Then, place them in a row and take turns rolling a ball to knock them over.
As your child gets more skilled, make skittles with small bottles and knock them over with a smaller ball.
6. Puzzles
Puzzles are one of the best activities for children. They develop skills such as fine motor, shape recognition (pre-mathematical), problem-solving, logic, attention and of course, hand-eye coordination.
These 12-piece Melissa and Doug wooden puzzles are my favourite as they are sturdy to handle and last forever. They come in an awesome wooden box. You may prefer to get 24-piece puzzles for older preschoolers.
Read about why puzzles are crucial for development.
7. Balloon Toss
Blow up a small or large balloon and see how long your child can keep it in the air by hitting it.
This balloon game is excellent for developing coordination as it requires moving and thinking fast to prevent the balloon from dropping, and working the eyes and hands simultaneously.
8. Sandpit Toys
Playing in the sandpit by filling containers with sand and building sand structures can provide much practice for developing coordination.
Offer your children buckets and containers of different sizes, as well as utensils such as shovels and rakes. Here is a great kit for sand play.
9. Cutting and Sticking
Give kids different types of paper – such as newspaper, tissue paper, cardboard, etc. – and let them cut it into shapes or strips.
Learning to cut with scissors is a great way to build hand-eye coordination at a young age.
Provide glue such as liquid wood glue, craft glue, a glue stick or even a mixture of flour and water with some paintbrushes to spread the glue.
10. Skipping Rope
Skipping is a challenging skill that many children struggle to do, yet is so good for a child’s coordination.
Not only do children have to coordinate both sides of their body and alternate legs, but they also need to move the skipping rope while making sure to watch that they jump through the rope.
11. Bean Bag Toss
Bean bags are a must-have in every household and school. Playing with bean bags develops gross and fine motor skills.
You can build your kids’ hand-eye coordination in various ways:
- Toss them into a washing basket
- Throw them into a low hula hoop
- Catch them with one hand (from 5 years of age)
- Throw them in the air and catch them (from 6 years of age)
- Play a bean bag toss game
This is a cool bean bag toss set for kids.
12. Drawing
Your children should be spending time drawing every day. This basic activity improves how the eyes and fingers work together to achieve a task.
Provide different utensils and mediums – such as paper, cardboard, a whiteboard, pencils, wax crayons, paint, etc.
13. Blackboard and Chalk
A large chalkboard gives children the opportunity to draw while working their large muscles. They also have to cross their arms over to reach the left and right of the board, which develops their ability to cross the midline.
Invest in a good-quality standing chalkboard that your children will use for years. This is the exact one my daughter has. It’s good quality and she will get years of use from it.
14. Dribbling a Ball Around Cones
Place plastic cones in a shape such as a straight line or circle and dribble a ball in between them using a cricket or baseball bat.
Improvise by using plastic bottles filled with water or try this set of cones that comes with bean bags and rings.
15. Finger Painting
This messy activity provides a sensory experience as well as an opportunity to build eye-hand coordination.
Make your own finger paint at home or buy ready-made paint.
For even more fun, try using bath finger paint. Your children will love learning while getting their hands in the paint.
16. Building with Blocks or Lego
Building toys, such as wooden blocks or Lego, are great for developing attention span, fine motor skills and coordination.
Having a set of wooden blocks is an essential educational toy for every child and one that will provide hours of learning as children build creativity, imagination, problem-solving skills, and much more.
Instead of buying small, flimsy blocks, invest in a proper set of good-quality wooden blocks. These are the kind I always had in my classroom.
Here are some more examples of great fine motor skills toys that you probably already have at home.
17. Construction Toys
As an alternative to blocks and Lego, offer your child other construction toys that have pieces that link, join or click and fit into each other.
Here is an example of a set, but if you have to choose, first invest in wooden blocks like the set I linked to above.
18. Egg and Spoon Race
The egg and spoon race is one of my favourites. This is such a simple game to play with your children and you’ll be laughing and giggling together as they practise this important skill.
It’s a great balancing activity for young kids.
Don’t forget to boil the egg first!
19. Swing Ball
Hitting a ball on a rope with a bat is one of the best activities for developing hand-eye coordination. You can build one at home with a wooden pole and a rope or buy a set on Amazon.
Eye-Hand Coordination Problems
Sometimes, children have problems with poor eye-hand coordination – related to vision or motor control.
In her book “Total Learning: Developmental Curriculum for the Young Child“, Joanne Hendrick says to look out for the following signs:
- Clumsiness
- Frustration
- Holding things too close to their eyes
- Avoiding activities
She suggests speaking to a paediatrician, ophthalmologist or optometrist if you suspect a child has difficulties with hand-eye coordination.
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Development of visual-motor coordination in preschool children with visual impairment – MADOU No. 156
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Hand-eye coordination is the coordinated actions of the hands and eyes.
Work on the development of visual-motor coordination is a motor activity, which is determined by the coordinated work of the small muscles of the hand (fingers, hands) and the eye. It must be mastered, because. fine motor skills help the child to explore, compare, classify the things around him and thus allow him to better understand the world in which he lives. Fine motor skills help the child to self-serve themselves, to express themselves through creativity – play, activity, help to increase the child’s self-esteem. Hand-eye coordination is a function that can be considered school-important; it occupies an important place in the formation of writing skills. Therefore, at older preschool age, work on the development of fine motor skills and coordination of hand movements should become an important part of preparing for school.
The eye sees – the hand depicts – such unity and close interaction of the two organs is achieved at an older age, subject to their consistent and equivalent development. The eye plays a leading role in the formation of movements, correction of their accuracy and direction. That is why the motor sphere of children with visual impairments develops differently, often lags in development, in coordination of movements, their accuracy, since impaired vision does not provide the child with the necessary control over movements. At the same time, some specific features of the development of the motor sphere are observed in children with visual impairment. They can observe the lack of self-control, self-regulation of movements. And this, of course, cannot but affect the coordination and coordination of the actions of the hands. Children with visual impairments are characterized by uncoordinated visual-motor functions, impaired micro-orientation, and impaired tone of various muscle groups.
Therefore, taking into account the research on the existence of a relationship between the success of the formation of writing skills and the level of development of hand-eye coordination, children with visual impairments must necessarily be worked on, including a system of exercises aimed at developing and improving hand-eye coordination, which in in turn will contribute to the development of visual perception.
Sculpting, drawing and other types of creativity develop fine motor skills of the fingers, but simply developed motor skills without coordination with vision are ineffective! Copying samples develops precisely the coordination of vision and movement.
We bring to your attention some types of exercises for the development of hand-eye coordination.
HAND-MAIL COORDINATION TRAINING
Laying out different patterns from a mosaic according to the model | Laying out patterns from sticks according to the model |
Laying out drawings from geometric shapes according to the sample. | Drawing by cells according to the sample |
Dot copy | “Continue the row” (drawing various borders) |
“Finish the left (right) half of the picture” | Trace patterns and dot join |
Graphic dictations | Hatching |
Stencil drawing, templates | Drawing lines of various configurations by points |
Trace or copy numbers, letters, shapes | Tracing through film, tracing paper, carbon paper |
Folding squares from parts according to the pattern | Laying out patterns (figures) according to the model of |
Collecting pictures according to the model of | Sketching, drawing according to diagrams |
Classes with a child that develop hand-eye coordination should be systematic (preferably daily), but short. Remember that the duration of continuous work in 5-7 years can be no more than 15 minutes.
When working with a child, remember the following rules:
1. Work calmly, without hassle, reproaches, censures.
2. Do not rush the child, let him work slowly.
3. Try each time to find something to praise the child for.
4. In case of failure, repeat the tasks, giving similar ones.
5. Make tasks more difficult only when the previous ones have been successfully completed.
6. Do not rush to get the result – success will come if the child trusts you and is self-confident.
7. If you need to make adjustments along the way, do it immediately, because the child may involuntarily “learn” a mistake, but avoid the words: “you are doing wrong”, “this is wrong”.
8. Avoid distractions while working with your child. If you cannot find half an hour for such work, it will be impossible to help the child.
Such a comprehensive training perfectly develops the child’s hand-eye coordination and allows children to develop automated skills of hand-eye synchronization in various activities. The child will be well prepared for school, his hand movements will be more confident, schoolwork will not be so tiring for the child.
The material was prepared by a teacher – defectologist of the 1st qualification category: Napalkova Elena Nikolaevna
MADOU No. 156
Municipal Autonomous Preschool Educational Institution of Khabarovsk “Compensating Kindergarten No. 156”
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Games for the development of hand-eye coordination with your own hands – Preschooler “ONLINE”
Good afternoon, moms and dads, grandparents! We are glad to meet you again!
Today we offer you to make games for the development of hand-eye coordination with your own hands.
One of the tasks for preparing children for school is the development of hand-eye coordination, as it occupies an important place in the formation of writing skills.
Hand-eye coordination is the coordinated actions of the hands and the eye.
Often children with visual impairments have insufficient hand-eye coordination. Therefore, children experience difficulties when they have to cut, tie, fold, take something, draw, trace.
There are many games and exercises aimed at developing and improving hand-eye coordination:
- tracing drawings along the contour, connecting by dots.
- graphic dictations.
- weaving, work with beads.
- cutting along the contour of figures from paper.
- plasticine and salt dough modeling.
- design, work with mosaics and others.
Also, for the development of hand-eye coordination, you can use various games using a variety of sports equipment. These games will not only contribute to the development of fine motor skills and coordination of movements, but will also give children a lot of positive emotions.
Children play such games during educational activities and in their free time with educators, specialists, other children. Some games (for example, “Roll the ball”, “Bowling”, “Hit the target”) can be easily made from improvised material or toys. I offer you several options for such games that contribute to the development of hand-eye coordination.
ROLL THE BALL
Purpose: development of the eye, coordination of movements.
Rules of the game: roll the ball into the cup. The “goal” that the child should hit is discussed. You can ask the child to get into the cup, which is located on the left (right, center). This will contribute to the development of orientation in space.
Equipment can be made from plastic or paper cups.
“BOWLING”
Purpose: game develops accuracy, dexterity, trains muscles.
Rules of the game: throw the ball in such a way that it knocks down pins at a certain distance. Points are awarded for knocked down skittles, whoever scores more points becomes the winner.
Equipment can be made from plastic bottles.
“HIT THE GOAL”
Purpose: to improve throwing skills with the right and left hand, develop accuracy, eye, coordination of movements.
Rules of the game: a child with throwing bags or a small ball stands in front of the line. Negotiable « target” that the child should hit. The target can be indicated by color, numbers or icons. You can also ask the child to get into the basket, which is on the left (right, center). This will contribute to the development of orientation in space.
Inventory can be made from plastic baskets, paper boxes, waste material.
WINDING GAMES
Purpose: To teach children to navigate by a signal, to develop fine motor skills, movement coordination, dexterity, to develop the ability to play in pairs.
Rules of the game: The game can be played by two children, or by a child and an adult. On a signal, the guys begin to wind the ribbon on the stick, whoever wraps the ribbon first wins. The manual can be used by children in independent games.
Inventory can be made from pencils, felt-tip pens, small toys.
RING THROW
Purpose: development of coordination of movements. Stimulates motor activity.
Rules of the game: Throw rings from a set distance onto a vertical or horizontal rod so that the rings are put on the rod.
Inventory can be made from cardboard, waste material, plastic bottles.
BILBOKE
Purpose: development of dexterity, eye, reaction speed, coordination and perseverance.
Rules of the game: The player’s task is to hit the ball tied on a string to a rod into a cup attached to the end of the same rod.