Best Occupational Therapy Preschool Activities

I’m happy you found a place for the best occupational therapy preschool activities. The resources provided on Develop Learn Grow are simple activities and strategies that you can add to what you’re already doing with your preschoolers. 

Early intervention is important for children, many occupational therapists provide support through the infant, toddler, and preschool years in order to develop a strong foundation for development. 

These tips, strategies, and preschool activities were created by an experienced school-based OT. 

Find simple ways to help your children thrive!  

Boost brain development by starting with one thing: Limit screen use in your kids. Visual input from a screen is too fast for the brain and can damage the eyes. Use Screen Time Alternatives during play and learning to support and maximize development.

Make sure you use a play based approach to learning to enhance  social skills, communication, and problem-solving skills, as well as sensory, gross, and fine motor development. Children learn best through play: Play-Based Learning, Keep the Focus on Development.

The occupational therapy preschool engaging activities shared on this page cover several topics to support development and whole-brain teaching.

Embed Occupational Therapy Activities Into Preschool Routines

Your routine is already set with your preschool students… here are several occupational therapy based child development activities that you can easily add to what you already do. 

The preschool classroom offers an environment with daily opportunities for so much fun! Preschool students don’t realize they are building skills for life as they play!

Brain Breaks and Movement Activities for Preschoolers

Brain breaks and movement activities are a great way to build gross motor skills, body awareness, motor planning, and sensory processing. Give the whole body sensory input during the early childhood preschool years. 

Use these simple movement activities during an obstacle course of during a quick brain break for your preschool students. 

• 25 Proprioceptive Brain Breaks for Kids That Improve Focus & Attention
• 30 Fun Movement Activities for Kids
• 61 Gross Motor Activities for Indoor Recess
• 43 Occupational Therapy Motor Coordination Activities
• Weight-Bearing Exercises for Kids
• 81+ Outdoor Games

Core Strength and Posture Activities for Preschoolers

In order for preschool children to develop fine motor skills, they need core strength and stability, and they should sit with good posture. These articles share simple ways to work on these foundational skills during your everyday activities with preschoolers.

• 40 Core Exercises for Kids
• Benefits of Vertical Surface Activities (30+ Ideas)
• 27 Easy Prone Position Activities for Kids of All Ages
• Correct Sitting Posture Tips
• Flexible Seating for the Home or Classroom

Fine Motor Coordination Occupational Therapy Preschool Activities

Fine motor skills don’t simply just develop when you place fine motor activities in front of kids. It’s a process and requires many other systems to work together to properly build fine motor skills.

These articles share important activities that support bilateral coordination skills, hand-eye coordination and fine motor activities.

• 18 Quick Midline Crossing Activities
• Bilateral Coordination Skills Activities
• Improve Scissor Skills + 39 Cutting Worksheets
• Pencil Grasp Development

Hand Skills and Fine Motor Activities for Preschoolers

Preschool students need several opportunities to build hand strength, finger dexterity, visual motor skills, and hand-eye coordination in order to learn to use writing and drawing tools and to manipulate small objects.

Check out these articles for some fun and important activities and tips.

• 107+ Hand Strength Activities for Kids
• 43 Finger Dexterity Exercises
• Pre-Writing Skills in Kids
• 33 Preschool Sensory Writing Activities
• How to Teach Proper Letter Formation – 9 Tips

Occupational Therapist Recommended Toys, Games, and Preschool Crafts

Preschoolers need to play, and they build so many skills as they do! Toys and games with small objects help build hand strength and dexterity in the hand muscles.

Art projects and preschool crafts are a great way to develop readiness skills for reading, writing, and math. Sensory play is also important in building a strong foundation for young children.

• Educational Toys & Games
• 93 Best Toys for Fine Motor Skills Development
• Sensory Play & Toys for Preschool Students
• Educational Art Projects for Kids to Support Learning
• Simple Fine Motor Skills Craft Using Minimal Supplies

Visual Skills OT Activities for Preschoolers

Visual perceptual skills in young children are important for reading, writing, and math readiness.

The following articles share information and activities to help develop visual motor skills and visual perceptual skills in children:

• 17 Special Balance and Movement Activities to Improve Visual Motor Skills
• 15 Important Occupational Therapy Visual Skills Activities
• Easy Visual Tracking Activities to Support Reading
• Easy Visual Motor Activities with Magnets
• 42 Easy Visual Perceptual Skills Activities That Enhance Learning

Job-Embedded Professional Learning and Support – Professional Development Opportunities for Parents & Educators

Do you want all of this information and these activity ideas bundled together to save you time?  

Educators and occupational therapists, are you in need of professional development opportunities to improve your practice and career? Or are you a parent or caregiver looking to learn more about supporting development in your young children?

Check out these popular online courses with hundreds of the best occupational therapy activities, all in one place!

Early intervention is important; help children meet developmental milestones while earning continuing education credits. Earn hours and a certificate from these two courses developed by an occupational therapist: