A child learns using the whole brain. Information to the lower parts of the brain from movement input allows higher areas to be accessed and used for adequate learning.

Movement is so essential for a child’s brain development.  It provides a strong foundation that supports core stability, muscle development and eye muscle control.  

No matter what a child’s occupational therapy goal may be for me, movement is always a part of the treatment plan.

Whether I work with teenagers, elementary kids, preschoolers, or younger children, I always incorporate movement!

Movement activities for kids are essential for learning and reading. 

Vestibular Movement Activities Improve Visual Skills for Reading and Learning

The movement and balance system is known as the vestibular system.  The vestibular system is the director of the nervous system.

It’s one of the important sensory system building blocks on the pyramid of learning. 

Your brain processes movement input and gives you information about gravity, position in space and balance.

Because of this system, you’re able to automatically keep your head in an upright position in the middle of your body when moving around.  

The vestibular system and visual systems work very closely together in the brain.  They rapidly process movement input and make adjustments to body muscles and eye muscles.

The vestibular system supports core stability and posture and it controls the movements of the eyes.

Your oculomotor skills develop based on movement input.  

For example, proper posture and a consistent neutral, upright head position allow your eyes to take in visual information evenly and correctly. 

The brain’s ability to take in and process the visual input is supported with opportunities for movement and good muscle tone and posture. 

You’re able to focus on an object with your eye muscles while also moving your head or your body.  Additionally, you can use efficient eye movements during visual scanning. 

Babies who have issues with their necks or flattened heads on one side end up with a tilted head.  The eye muscles automatically adjust to the tilted head position and become misaligned when the head is in neutral.  Eye teaming becomes difficult (the eyes have a hard time working together) and double vision can occur.      

It’s so important to focus on movement, balance, and posture to support visual skills.

Why Incorporate Movement Activities to Improve Visual Skills into Your Learning Routines?

Piaget, Child Development Psychologist said it best: “We must perceive in order to move, but we must move in order to perceive.” 

Movement and balance input are a crucial part of the central nervous system’s foundation for learning.  (See the Sensory Pyramid of Learning.)

Movement opportunities improve body awareness and perception.  The more children move through space and use their vestibular system, the more their movements become more automatic for daily tasks.  

In addition, processing movement input helps with self-regulation and attention.  

Children develop in a normal sequence.  A child must process input in the lower parts of the brain through movement and sensory experiences before they can access and use higher parts of their brains for learning.

Developing gross motor skills using the larger muscles helps develop visual motor skills and fine motor skills.

Moreover, children develop good visual perceptual skills with movement experiences and when interacting with objects in the environment.  Visual perception skills such as visual discrimination are important for identifying and learning letters. 

[The post 15 Important Occupational Therapy Visual Skills Activities shares more details about the visual system and how visual activities support reading.  Also, 42 Easy Visual Perceptual Activities That Enhance Learning shares activities that support all visual perception skills areas.]

Kids need to incorporate balance and movement activities every day as part of their play and learning routines.  Check out these 17 easy and fun ways to add movement to your day.

17 Examples of Balance & Movement Activities to Improve Visual Skills

The movement activities listed below are quick and easy to add to your daily activities. They’re categorized into simple balance activities, movement and balance activities, head movement exercises, and visual tracking activities. 

Add them during a transition, before a lesson, to a learning center, morning activities, or indoor recess.

Many exercises listed below can be used with a partner which are a great way to encourage social interaction.

Add these movement activities during daily tasks and as a brief brain break before a lesson. Get your kids to stand up and move routinely!

SIMPLE BALANCE ACTIVITIES

These easy balance activities are a great way to introduce simple activities for the vestibular system.  These simple and basic movement activities support the strength and control of the eye muscles.   

1) Balance on Tip Toes

This is a simple way to stimulate the balance and visual systems. Start with 3 seconds and work up to 10 seconds or more.

Kids can also hold their thumb out in front of them and stare at it to work on visual attention. Or they can watch it as they slowly move it back and forth to the sides to work on visual tracking of a moving target. 

2) Rock Back and Forth on Feet

Heel to toe rocking is another easy way to work on balance.  

Once kids gain control and get into a rhythm, they can extend straight arms to the sides and scissor them in front of their bodies.  (Arms straight out to the sides, cross in front. Back to the sides and cross again in front, opposite arm on top.) 

3) Balance Beam and Line Walking

Use lines on the carpet or tile or place tape on the floor.  Have kids walk heel to toe along the line.  

For an added challenge, they can focus on a visual target on the wall as they move along (add letters, sight words, or spelling words.)

4) Tap Feet on the Ground

A leader models rhythmical tapping of the feet (while standing) at various patterns and speeds (3 right-3 left, 3R-1L, 1R-3L, etc.)  Make sure children do not hold onto a chair or furniture.

Start with a toe tap and then practice lifting the leg and tapping out in front of the body.  For extra challenges, use a metronome to follow a beat or add clapping hands.   

5) Stand on One Leg

Balancing activities are a great way to stimulate the vestibular system and the eye muscles. Balance on each leg for 5-10 seconds. Close the eyes as an added challenge.

For added visual attention and concentration, look at a clock on the wall while balancing and say numbers 1-12 as they look at each number. 

Older children can visualize a clock in front of them and move their eyes in a circle according to the positions of the numbers.  They can also hold up a finger or thumb if needed.

MOVEMENT AND BALANCE ACTIVITIES

Children develop visual motor integration when they participate in gross motor movement and balance activities.  

More practice with coordinating larger muscles helps with eye-hand coordination and the development of fine motor skills.  These activities also support the control of the eye muscles. 

6) Jump Softly

Jump forward and backward over a line on the floor (or ruler, pencil, eraser, jump rope.)  Really challenge kids with this one by having them close the eyes! Count with each jump or recite the alphabet. 

7) Hop on One Leg

Hop forward then backward on each foot. Follow a leader’s directions (right leg 3 hops forward-2 hops back, left leg 2 forward-3 back.)

8) Spin Around

Students choose a visual target at least 5 feet away from them.  They spin around and try to find and refocus on their target.  Spins should start slowly and increase in speed as they gain motor control. 

9) Jump Side to Side

A visual line of tape, chalk on a carpet, or a flat object can be placed on the floor.  Start jumping side to side.  Kids can count forward and backward as they jump.

To add crossing the midline of the body, kids can clasp hands together and bring them from the center of the body to the opposite hip in the different direction of the feet as they jump.  

10) Jump onto Targets

This is an easy exercise activity to add to a location that’s frequently used (on the way out the door, in the hall, on the way to the bathroom, etc.) 

Tape can be placed on the floor or you can use rubber non-slip spotters.  I’ve borrowed them from phys ed teachers, or I’ve made my own from drawer liner or Dycem. 

With my homemade versions, I often draw different letters or numbers on them so that children can recite them as they jump.

HEAD MOVEMENT EXERCISES TO IMPROVE VISUAL SKILLS

Moving the head in different directions stimulates the various canals in the vestibular system.  Stimulating the different canals increases attention and focus in the brain and nervous system. 

11) Windmills

Stand with feet wider than shoulder width.  Arms are held straight to the sides.  Bend at the hips (keep legs straight) and touch opposite hand to opposite foot.  Return to standing and repeat on the other side.  Do 6-10 touches.  

12) Toe Touches

Reach down and touch toes, pause at the bottom. When kids return to a standing position, they can look at a target or chart and read a sequence of letters or words. Students can pair up for this activity to read a chart or read rotating cards held by the partner.

13) Head and Neck Movements

The leader calls out directions, or kids pair up with a partner and mirror the partner’s movements.  For example, right ear to right shoulder, look down, look to the left, left ear to left shoulder, look up, look to the right, etc.

14) Side to Side Sways

Hands on hips, feet still, and bend side to side.  Vary the speed of the side bends. Focus on a fixed stationary target to strengthen the eye muscles. 

VISUAL TRACKING ACTIVITIES

Visual tracking activities are great eye exercises for kids that they need for reading and daily tasks. Add a balance or movement activity as an added challenge.

15) Infinity Loop

Imagine a number 8 laying on its side.  Trace the loop in the air. Start in the center and go up to the left and continue around several times.  Switch hands, use pointer fingers or thumbs. 

This is an excellent exercise for kids!  See Visual Tracking Activities Using the Infinity Loop for more ideas. It shares how to use it with several learning activities.

16) Bean Bag or Ball Tosses

Pair motor actions with learning.  Use bean bags or balls with letters, numbers or words to help with hand-eye coordination.  

Toss up in the air and catch to recite what’s on the bag or ball. Or use during partner pair ups.

17) Bounce a Ball, Catch and Spell or Move

Use a tennis ball, bounce, catch and sequence spelling words one letter at a time (with each bounce and catch.) 

Practice directional words by stepping in various directions (forward, back, right, left) after catching the moving ball.  These can be verbalized from a partner or written on a poster on the wall.

These 17 common activities can really help your younger and older children improve movement processing, balance and visual skills.

If some of your students need more support with balance, they may need more postural and core activities.  A strong core is needed to help with balance.  Check out 40 Core Exercises for Kids for additional activities (and a free printable.)  Several exercises listed above also suggest adding crossing the midline of the body with the arms. Click this link for more midline crossing activities that help the two sides of the brain communicate together.  

Tips When Trying the Movement & Balance Activities

As an occupational therapist, I often work with kids with vestibular difficulties and problems with visual processing skills.  The activities shared in this post are basic activities that can be used with all kids.

However, with any physical exercises, caution should be taken for each individual student.  Firstly, and obviously, make sure kids are being safe when practicing the activities.

When performing the exercises, make sure you have enough room around each child. 

Check for objects on the floor that could cause one to slip.  Make sure furniture or objects are far enough away in case of a loss of balance.

Emphasize a rule that all children must use good motor control.  I tend to have to frequently emphasize “be in control of your body” to large groups.

Start with easier activities and gradually add the challenges when the kids are ready.

Finally, as stated in the disclaimer, the activities listed in this post are informational, not therapeutic.  See the full disclaimer for more information.

Related Posts with Movement Activities

• 43 Occupational Therapy Motor Coordination Activities
• 61 Fun Gross Motor Activities for Elementary Indoor Recess
• Top Skill Building Outdoor Games for Kids at School
• 30 Fun Movement Activities and Ideas for Elementary Kids

Additional Movement Activities and FREE Downloadable PDF Handouts for You

The Best Brain Breaks post has a free printable that includes six of these exercises on a one page handout.  It contains a sequence of 8 exercises that activate all areas of the brain (with 13 total steps.)  The entire sequence can be completed in less than 2 minutes! Click the previous link for more info or the button below for quick access to the PDF:

If you’d like more activities for reading and writing skills, check out How to Improve Reading Skills with 50+ Sensory Strategies.  It lists balance and crossing midline activities, as well as visual and auditory activities for kids.  Click the previous link for more info or the button below for quick access to the PDF:

Do Your Students Need a Fun Challenge for Their Bodies and Brains?

Use these specific occupational therapy exercises to improve:

Attention… focus… core stability… crossing midline… sensory processing… visual development… & more… Click for more info!

The post 17 Special Balance and Movement Activities to Improve Visual Skills appeared first on DEVELOP LEARN GROW.

Reading is such a complex process.  So why is there is so much pressure for kids to learn to read at earlier ages?  

Why are schools pushing reading and focusing on reading scores instead of looking at body and brain readiness, especially in younger children?

I work alongside many great teachers in my role as a school-based occupational therapist.  Many schools are pushing to have better readers.  But instead of focusing on readiness skills, they start forcing reading sooner.  Some visual learners can memorize sight words and have success at earlier ages.  BUT, this success at an earlier age does indicate successful reading abilities when they get older.  

When we expect our kids to start reading before their bodies and brains are ready, we develop reluctant readers.  I’m not a reading expert, but with my background knowledge as an occupational therapist, I respect development.

Development matters.  A child’s brain, body, eyes and ears need to be ready in order to develop strong reading skills.  

Focus on Developmental Readiness Skills for Reading

Developmental readiness is an extremely important part of reading.  

The teachers I work with are blown away when they watch their students struggle with basic motor tasks for the body and eyes.  Or when they watch their kids have difficulty with auditory games and activities.  

They’re thankful for OT strategies they can add to their lesson plans to helo their students.

In this blog post, I’m going to share four key points and areas of development that are important to practice before your curriculum starts pushing and assessing reading.   

Check out these effective ways to make sure your students’ brains and bodies are ready for learning.  With a strong foundation of sensory and sensorimotor development, you will be able to better prepare your readers.  Because you focused on developmental readiness.  

Younger children need us to see where they are and help guide them with basic developmental activities.  This will help with their confidence and success with the reading process and to create better readers. 

If you’re already pressured to begin a reading curriculum too soon, please still incorporate all of these simple activities to your play and learning routines.   

This post contains important information and fun sensory activities that help support and improve reading skills.  I share reasons why auditory activities, visual activities, crossing midline activities, and balance activities are great for kids to improve reading skills.  Following the explanations in each area, there are lists of activities that you can easily embed into your daily routine and lesson plans to help with the learning process.   

A free PDF with the activities is available at the end of this blog post containing the 1) Auditory Activities, 2) Visual Activities, 3) Crossing Midline Activities, and 4) Balance Activities

1) Why Are Auditory Activities Important for Kids to Improve Reading Skills?

Good reading comprehension skills begins with learning how to process auditory information.  Younger children develop auditory memory, discrimination, and attention to a variety of sounds and words from the world around them.  

A language rich environment from the time of conception until a child enters kindergarten or first grade provides a child with a strong foundation for the auditory system and literacy skills.    

Music, songs, rhymes, books, story time, and conversations stimulate the auditory system and support auditory processing.  These are fundamental skills for the auditory system in the brain.  

Children’s brains pick up on sound patterns and the sequence of sounds and words with these language activities.  When these are naturally embedded into a child’s world, it supports cognitive development, language skills, and vocabulary development.   

Kids learn to process longer sequences of sounds and words in order to follow multiple-step directions.  Auditory activities are important for kids of all ages, no matter what reading level they’re on.  They should begin in infancy and continue throughout development in older students.

I know of a teen who still is working on strengthening auditory skills.  The added auditory activities help him to continue to strengthen auditory processing, language development and reading comprehension skills.

Even high school students and adults benefit from auditory activities and strategies as they study and learn. 

Stimulating the auditory system increases alertness in the brain.  Auditory activities help with listening, following directions, language development, reading, writing, and spelling. 

Improve Reading Skills with Auditory Activities

Auditory activities help improve fundamental skills needed for the complex process of reading.  Activities for the auditory (hearing) system help improve attention, listening, phonics, memory, sequencing and vocabulary.  

Add these activities to your learning routines to help kids process auditory input for reading.  They’re fun games and activities that support whole brain learning and of course with the ultimate goal of reading.

• Listen to music (without a video) or play classical music
• Sing songs or nursery rhymes
• Rhyming games and sound games
• Telephone game
• Following directions (Cranium’s Hullabaloo, “Mother May I”)
• Podcasts of short stories or short books – ask questions that have many different answers
• Caregiver reads a book to teach new vocabulary words
• Conversations that increase vocabulary and directional concepts during arts & crafts
• Memory, sequencing and recall games
• Scavenger hunts with verbal clues (using positional words)
• Left-right games (Hokey Pokey, Simon Says with 2-3 steps)
• Story telling

*For more auditory games and activities, check out Simple Auditory Activities to Improve Learning and Reading.  You will find additional activities to help improve listening and following directions.  

2) Why Are Visual Activities Important for Kids to Improve Reading Skills?

Visual processing is a really important part of reading.  Our eyes just don’t see things clearly near and far.  The brain has an important job of quickly processing what is seen.  

Visual learners can quickly memorize the shape of sight words.  But when new vocabulary words are presented for reading, higher level learning skills are required.  Visual discrimination and phonemic awareness are needed to figure out each letter and letter combination for the sounds. 

Additionally, for just basic reading skills, the eye muscles need to visually focus on text in one area.  

I have an exercise for kids that absolutely shocks the teachers. Most students can’t even focus on their own finger held out in front of them for a short amount of time.  NOR can they follow their finger when they move it… But they’re expected to start to read! 

The teachers feel awful watching this.  

For reading, kids have to fix their eyes on certain areas. Then the eyes then have to scan text in proper sequence when reading a written word, sentence or consecutive sentences.  The eyes also have to smoothly move across the midline of the body. 

This is so difficult for students who haven’t developed eye muscle control. 

If these basic visual and motor skills aren’t developed, reading becomes so challenging for these kids.  

Furthermore, if kids are being expected to read before they develop good visual discrimination skills, it causes even more frustration.  The child struggles (understandably) because their brain is working so hard to take in and process so much information before it is ready.  If they can’t consistently identify and discriminate between letters (b’s from d’s, p’s from q’s, r-m-h-n-u, etc) then reading is difficult.    

Visual activities, games and basic exercises are so important for kids to support reading.

Improve Reading Skills with Visual Activities

Visual activities are easy to add to any part of a child’s day.  Every part of the day has opportunities for visual exercises. And so many games strengthen visual skills for children that support reading.

Using picture books with babies and toddlers is a great early literacy activity.  Play with a variety of building structures, blocks, puzzles, bubbles, balls, cars, etc build visual skills for kids.

Improve visual perception, position in space, memory and visual tracking with this list of visual activities.

• Puzzles, tangrams, or pattern boards – build from memory
• Mazes or magnet mazes
• Ball play (catch, rolling, bouncing, bowling, target toss)
• Memory (match letters or words)
• Sequencing games (re-create patterns from memory)
• I spy games
• Tracing or dot-to-dots
• Hidden pictures or word finds
• Left-right games (Twister)
• Scavenger hunts (inside or out)
• Visualize objects, places, people, ideas
• Word building games (boggle, scrabble)
• Read a book by only looking at pictures – talk about what’s happening
• Bingo games, dominoes

*For more visual skills activities for kids, check out 

1) Visual Perception Activities (this blog post focuses on 7 areas of visual perception with 42 activities to help kids develop visual perceptual skills)

2) Visual Skills Activities for Kids (this post shares activities to help strengthen visual attention for reading) 

3) Easy Visual Tracking Activities Using the Infinity Loop (help kids improve their ability to track a moving object AND to help the eyes cross midline)  

4) Fun Visual Motor Activity Using Magnets (this post shares an easy kid favorite activity; improve visual tracking, visual memory, visual attention, and letter identification)

3) How Crossing Midline Activities Help Improve Reading Skills

Crossing the midline of the body with a hand, foot, or the eyes helps both sides of the brain communicate and work together.  These important movements help with gross and fine motor skills, writing, and reading.  Midline crossing activities help the brain learn directional concepts such as position in space and right and left, and it helps the brain make sense of letter positions.     

Crossing midline activities helps kids develop hand dominance and writing skills (part of the reading process) and it decreases the frequency of letter reversals.  

Kids should start to naturally cross the midline of their body when they are two years old.  Sadly, I see many kindergarten, first, and second graders who do not automatically cross the midline of their body with their hands, eyes, or feet. They continue to use the basic parts of the brain which does not allow higher level connections to be made for learning.  Every preschooler and grade level student can continue to benefit from these movements.  

Moving the body in certain ways with intention helps make new connections in the brain for learning. Paul Dennison’s Brain Gym® movements supports this with substantial research and success with the program.  

Improve Reading Skills in Kids with Crossing Midline Activities

Crossing midline activities engages more parts of the body and the brain. Reading success in kids is dependent on motor skills.  The eyes have to move independently from the head and smoothly cross the middle line of the body.

Crossing midline activities improve the communication between the two sides of the brain.  They strengthen the eye muscles and help them move smoothly across the midline of the body.  

• Wave large bubble wands or ribbons in the air using big movements
• Swing jump ropes in large circles or side to side using large movements (for older students, jump rope with a crossing pattern)
• Toe touches and windmills stimulate the vestibular system to increase alertness in the brain and to encourage crossing midline
• Sport activities such as baseball, golf, tennis, rowing, or hockey games that encourages the arms to cross the midline of the body
• Dance moves that require the arms to cross to the other side of the body (recite rhymes and songs as kids move their arms and legs) 
• Large magnet mazes or chalk activities that use big movements (the large infinity symbol is a great one, see the link below these activities)
• Wash self during bathing and rub lotion on arms, legs, back

*For more fun and easy crossing midline activities, check out 18 Quick Midline Crossing Activities for Academic Tasks.  

Additionally, consider the following posts with brain break exercises to help with attention and school skills:

1) Best Educational Brain Break Exercises (this blog post lists a sequence of quick brain break exercises that incorporate crossing midline, movement and postural skills) 

2) Classroom Exercise Breaks – 8 Week Series (get an 8 week sequence of class exercises that includes crossing midline, movement, proprioceptive exercises, core stability, fine motor skills, and more) 

4) How do Balance and Movement Activities Help Improve Reading Skills?

Balance activities stimulate the vestibular (movement) sensory system.  Balance tasks help improve core stability.  A strong core and adequate processing of movement input supports postural muscle development and eye muscle control.  

If a child does not have a strong core, they tend to sit with a slumped or sideways posture.  Whatever posture younger children develop (good or bad,) the eye muscles automatically adjust so that the brain can properly take in information.  If kids hold their heads to the side, these kids develop a dominant eye with eyes that are not aligned which can make reading really difficult.  

Core stability exercises, proper sitting posture and movement activities are all important to strengthen the eye muscles for reading. 

Balance Activities to Improve Visual Skills are important for muscle development. They improve core postural muscles and eye muscle control needed for reading. 

Additionally, balance and movement activities give powerful sensory information to the central nervous system so that is is ready for learning.  

Improve Reading Skills in Kids with Balance Activities

Movement and balance activities stimulate the vestibular system.  These activities improve postural control, eye muscle control and improve attention and focus.  These are all really important developmental skills that need strengthened for reading success.  

Easily add these balance and movement activities to your daily life routines with kids. 

• Balance beam
• Jump with 2 feet onto targets (recite alphabet or spell words)
• Hop on 1 foot onto targets
• Hopscotch
• Balance poses (yoga)
• Ride a bike or scooter
• Swinging
• Ring-Around-the-Rosie
• Spin on a swing 
• Merry-go-round 
• Sit-n-spin
• Log roll (flat area or down a hill!)
• Somersaults
• Cartwheels
• Charades
• Dance 
• Dramatic play

For more movement, balance, and core activities and exercises, check out:

1) 30 Fun Movement Activities for Kids  

2) 40 Core Exercises for Kids

3) 43 Occupational Therapy Motor Coordination Activities 

Free PDF Printable: Sensory Activities to Enhance Reading Skills

For more understanding of how the sensory systems and sensory activities are the foundation for learning, check out the blog post Taylor Trott Sensory Pyramid of Learning.  

And please don’t use screens with learning apps and reading apps with kids.  Screens cause more disruption to the sensory systems and learning process.   Find Screen Time Alternatives for Kids (read this post to find out how screens negatively interfere with all areas of development.)    

Finally, the activities listed in this post are on a one page PDF handout (FREE Printable: Activities to Enhance Reading Skills) as a reference for you.  

Easily add these activities during play and learning.  They’re effective ways to build foundational skills needed for reading.  

MORE Fun Learning Activities for Kids Using OT Sensory Strategies:

• Hands on Learning: A Unique Tactile Learning Activity
• Simple DIY Math Manipulatives for Tactile and Kinesthetic Learning
• Art Projects & Crafts for Kids – A Great Way to Support Learning & Development

The post How to Improve Reading Skills: 50+ Sensory Strategies appeared first on DEVELOP LEARN GROW.

Auditory activities are a very important part of the learning process.  

Attending to different sounds is part of the development of phonological awareness and phonemic awareness.

Auditory activities improve auditory processing skills that helps improve reading skills.  Additionally, auditory learning activities help kids with life-long learning skills of listening, auditory attention, following directions, and auditory memory skills.  

Improving listening skills helps with paying attention. Which in turn helps with following directions! 

All of these skills, as well as listening, are fundamental components to learning.

How Does A Child Hear and Process Sounds?

Our ears take in sounds around us, we make sense of the sounds, and we react to them.  Seems pretty simple, right?

It’s really not! 

As noted in Visual Activities for Reading, the visual system and visual processing are extremely complex.  The hearing system is just as complex!

The auditory system is an intricate system that not only involves the ears hearing sounds but it involves the brain processing the sounds. 

Our ears take in movements from sound waves.  The waves move through several parts of the hearing system.  

At the end of this long sequence, a sensory response is created.  The sensory response sends a message to the brain.

Auditory discrimination helps us learn different sounds and understand where they’re located. 

The brain senses what the sound is and where it’s coming from.  The brain chooses to pay attention to it or to tune it out if it’s not important.

For instance, you can hear a plane in the sky or a dog barking outside. You know that it’s far away.  Your brain tunes out the noise and pays attention to other more important sounds close to you.

We also develop auditory memory skills.  We’re able to learn and remember the meaning of sounds.  Sounds trigger memory as part of learning and creating new pathways in the brain.  Additionally, our ears hear and process sounds that alert and protect us (footsteps, horn beeping, fire alarm.)

These are the basic parts of the hearing system.  When the complexity of paying attention, learning language and learning are added the brain has to work much harder!

Why Are Auditory Activities Important for Kids to Improve Reading Skills?

Listening and processing auditory information is a life skill! 

It starts in infancy and continues through adulthood.  Different learning environments require more from our brains.

From a learning perspective, a child’s brain understands that sounds, letters, words and language have meaning. 

A child’s brain picks up on sound patterns and the sequence of sounds and words.

Sounds are stored in the brain.  A child remembers the sound and retrieves the meaning automatically as they learn. 

The child begins to process longer sequences of sounds and words in order to follow multiple-step directions.

Stimulating the auditory system increases alertness in the brain. It helps with following directions, language development, reading, writing, and spelling.

Auditory activities are important for kids of all ages.  They should begin in infancy and continue throughout the elementary years.

I know of a teen who still is working on strengthening auditory skills.  It helps improve language development and reading comprehension.

Even high school students benefit from auditory activities and strategies.  For example, some kids memorize the periodic table of elements through songs and/or rhythm.  Others use mnemonic devices to help learn information.

Adults also benefit from auditory activities!

Auditory memory skills and auditory sequential memory skills are very important for reading!  The alphabet, sounds in words, and sentences all involve sequencing.

Things to Consider When Using Auditory Activities to Improve Reading Skills

As an occupational therapist, I help parents and teachers use a variety of strategies to help with different learning styles.  Some kids need more visual information to learn and others process information better through their auditory system.  

When you incorporate auditory activities for kids during routines, there are a few things to consider.

Some children are very strong auditory learners.  Many of these auditory activities and games may come naturally to them.  They will need to be challenged more.

Other kiddos may struggle with some of the listening games but that doesn’t mean they should avoid them!  It’s important to find activities that challenge kids a little and balance out the brain.  It helps to stimulate new areas of the brain!  It helps to bring everything in balance.

[If you’re concerned about a kiddo’s listening skills or think that they may have an auditory processing disorder, check out: What If Your Kid Isn’t Listening Because of Auditory Processing Difficulties?]

In addition, while the activities listed stimulate and help with listening skills, be aware that some sounds may bother some kids.  Be aware of possible auditory sensory sensitivities.  Most of your students will show you (by covering their ears) or possibly will verbalize when sounds bother them.   

The following are examples of auditory activities and listening games for kids. They’re fun and easy ways to help improve following directions and reading skills.  And more importantly, they’re great for learning to listen better.

[A few Amazon affiliate links are used below. See full disclaimer for more information.]

How to Improve Reading Skills with Auditory Processing Activities and Listening Games for Kids

1. Name That Sound

Play nature sounds or environmental sounds for a guessing game.  Once kids figure out the sounds, play a few in a sequence and have them remember the order.  Here are some great, free online guess the sound games for kids. 

2. Listen to Podcasts, Short Stories or Auditory Books (or an adult reading)

Some kids listen better as they’re playing with something (playdoh, coloring) or moving around.   Ask questions that have many different answers. 

Check out Amazon’s Audible Plus for a free trial or membership to have access to an array of audiobooks and podcasts.

3. Create a Thunderstorm

This is such a fun game! It sounds really cool with a group of kids.

Kids close their eyes and listen to and imitate the various sounds that they hear you make as you follow through this sequence:

• Rub your hands together or slide your hands on the top of a desk or table for the sound of the wind. 
• Slowly snap your fingers for the raindrops, gradually increasing the speed. 
• Tap your fingertips on the desktop (keeping up with and increasing the speed from the snapping sound.)
• Pat your hands on the desktop.
• Stomp feet for the thunder! 

You can also reverse the sequence as “the storm passes away in the distance.” Stomp feet, pat hands on the desk, tap fingertips on the desk, snap fingers (decreasing the speed) and then slide the hands on a table for the wind.

4. Auditory Scavenger Hunts

Use descriptive and positional words (“find a medium shape to the right of the bookshelf under the chair” or a “find a blue card with the word___ on it”.)

This is a good partner game for kids.  They take turns reading the clues to each other.

5. Metronome

Use a metronome or a free online metronome to set a beat for tapping, clapping or marching activities.

Start with 60 beats per minute and gradually increase the speed as kids get comfortable with the activities. [60-80 beats per minute are more calming and organizing; faster beats alert the nervous system] 

For example, tap left foot to the beat, right foot to the beat, alternate tapping the feet.  Follow various directions 2 taps left foot, 3 taps right foot, etc.

Add other body parts and movements such as clapping hands or patting the tops of the thighs.  Or, students can transition to the beat like a robot!

6. Learn Song Lyrics, a Poem or a Chant

This is a powerful way to improve auditory processing and listening skills.  Chants, mantras, and rhythmical songs are fun for kids and great for learning.

(Consider Amazon’s Prime Music to have access to millions of songs.)

7. Telephone Game

Practice vocabulary definitions or new facts through the telephone game.  Use a sentence or phrase to introduce a new topic.

8. Following Directions Games

Use games that incorporate left-right directions such as Twister (or Twister Ultimate). Try a dance like the Hokey Pokey!  Play games that incorporate directions such as Cranium’s Hullabaloo.

Add multiple step directions to your own versions of Simon Says or try games like Mother May I?

9. Classical Music

Play classical music at various times during the day.  It reduces stress, promotes relaxation and stimulates brain function.  Studies show that it enhances memory and stimulates emotional intelligence! 

It can also help kids focus when there’s distracting background noise at home or school.

10. Story Telling to Improve Reading Skills

Takes turns telling short stories. Tell a story together, each person gets a specific amount of time before it passes on to the next person.

BONUS Listening Game: “Do As I Say, Not As I Do”

This is a fun game for kids! And you’d be surprised at how tricky it can be for some… kids are so used to VISUALLY watching and imitating. It really forces them to listen carefully and not be distracted by what they see.

During this game, you give them an instruction – but you do something different.

For example, you might say “Pat your head” as you are patting your shoulders. Or, you say “jump up and down three times” as you stomp your feet.

You can vary the complexity of the directions based on your grade level (add left and right.)

Free PDF Printable: Activities to Enhance Reading Skills

Auditory activities are great for helping kids listen and follow directions and they also help improve reading skills.  

If you’d like a free printable to help with skills needed for reading, grab it here:  FREE Printable: Activities to Enhance Reading Skills or click the button below.  

The activities on the printable include auditory games, as well as visual, balance and crossing midline activities.

The visual activities listed improve visual perception, position in space and visual tracking.  

Balance activities are important for muscle development.  They improve postural muscles and eye muscle control needed for reading. 

The crossing midline activities help the two sides of the brain communicate better. And, they help the eyes track across midline.  (Definitely needed for reading!)

All of these activities help with brain development, learning, and the building blocks for reading. 

MORE Fun Learning Activities for Kids Using OT Sensory Strategies:

Click the four links in the paragraph above for visual and visual perceptual activities.  Balance and crossing midline activities are also effective sensory and sensorimotor activities that help with the learning process.  

The Taylor Trott Sensory Pyramid of Learning explains how the sensory systems create a strong foundation for kids’ learning, attending and behaving. 

Additional learning activities with OT strategies are listed below:

• How to Improve Reading Skills: 50+ Sensory Strategies
• 25 Proprioceptive Brain Breaks for Kids That Improve Focus
• Easy Sensory Strategies to Help Kids Focus on Homework
• Hands on Learning: A Unique Tactile Learning Activity
• Simple DIY Math Manipulatives for Tactile and Kinesthetic Learning

The post Simple Auditory Activities to Improve Learning and Reading appeared first on DEVELOP LEARN GROW.

Our world is constantly changing due to technological advances.  Digital devices are everywhere providing us with quick communication, convenience, entertainment, and instant information at the tap of the screen. 

Digital devices are in the hands of adults, teenagers, young children, and even very little children now. 

They’re in many environments in our society where they never existed before. Nor were they ever needed before. And they’ve made their way into our schools. 

They’re popular! Many teens and adults probably couldn’t function without them. (Guilty!)

But there is so much to be concerned about regarding the amount of time spent on mobile devices and screens. 

It’s negatively impacting the health of teens and adults. More importantly, we don’t yet know the long term damage to our young children.  And the short term damage is already evident in kids. 

The increased use of screens in kids is extremely concerning to me as an occupational therapist. Young kids are spending way too much time on screens. 

It’s disheartening when I see children on a phone or tablet in the grocery store, at a restaurant, at a sporting event, during a meal, before bedtime, during a short errand run in the car, or at a walk in the park in a stroller!!  

And now I’m seeing an increased use with them in our schools.

This needs to change.  Quickly!  Before too much damage is done.

Let’s work together to decrease screen use in our kids!  It’s creating a bad habit that’s negatively impacting children’s bodies, brains and nervous systems.  Too much screen use can actually alter brain functioning and impede overall development.

Negative Effects of Excessive Screen Time and Use of Digital Devices

Excessive time spent on digital devices impacts sleep, physical health, and mental health in teens, young adults, and adults. 

Back pain, eye strain, headaches, hand overuse and neck strain are common physical discomforts.

The position of the head looking down at a cell phone impacts posture and can actually reverse the natural curve in the neck.  

This position, termed “text neck syndrome,” also affects the level of alertness in the nervous system and in turn can contribute to or exacerbate depression and anxiety.  

So many studies are showing the negative impacts of screens on young people and adults, so why are we encouraging the use of them in babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and young children?  

Do we want to cause them neck pain, headaches, and eye strain?  Do we want the fast paced input from the screen to impact their attention and mental health when we’re educating them?

A young child’s brain and nervous system are rapidly developing during this critical phase of life.  

The increased screen time in young children and even babies is absolutely terrifying to me as a mother and occupational therapist! 

Many studies have shown how screen use in young children interferes with learning, executive function, sensory integration, sleep, attention, behavior, communication, motor skills, visual skills, creativity, and social-emotional skills.  

Screen alternatives need to be a priority for parents and educators. We need to shift away from these bad habits that are hindering development, growth, and learning in our children. 

Proper non-screen opportunities for children allow for basic skill development in the brain and body.  Following and respecting development is important to lay the foundation for lifelong learning, well-being, and functioning.

Screen Time Alternatives for Children to Improve Development

Excessive screen use in kids is not healthy academically, physically, socially, and mentally.  

It interferes with learning, sensory integration, self-regulation, sleep, attention, and behavior.  There are negative impacts on communication and social skills as well as emotional development and coping skills.

The fast paced input from a screen impacts proper visual development, visual processing, and visual perceptual skills.      

Excessive time on electronic devices interferes with gross motor and fine motor skill development.  It impacts executive function skills and creativity. 

Finding screen alternatives and proper developmental opportunities are extremely important for basic skill development in young children. This will lay the foundation for lifelong learning.  

Below, I list reasons why screen time alternatives are important in 7 different areas of development. 

And I share NON-SCREEN ideas in 7 developmental areas that are essential for learning: 1) cognitive development, 2) sensory processing, 3) attention and behavior, 4) communication and social skills, 5) gross and fine motor skills and creativity, 6) visual perceptual skills, and 7) emotional development and coping skills. 

1) Strengthen Cognitive Development in Kids with Non-Screen Activities

Young children’s brains develop very rapidly.  The first five years of a child’s life are critical for creating strong learning pathways in the brain.  

Sensory and motor systems continue to develop after the first five years that support learning, behaving, and attending.

Children of all ages learn best through play, exploration, using all of the senses, and interacting with the world around them.  

Active learning, play and project based learning are great ways for children to develop problem-solving skills, executive function skills, and independence through self-initiated activities.  These are so important for cognitive development!

Kids brain gain so much more input when using more parts of the body. They experience textures, shapes, movement, weight, and position in space. And they gain motor feedback for learning.

Screen Alternatives to Support Cognitive Development and Learning 

Preschool and kindergarten classrooms should be developmentally based and NOT academically driven. 

And they definitely should NOT be using iPads or tablets as learning modalities.  I’m seeing this increase in some schools and it really concerns me. It is not the environment to add more screen time.   

Learning and cognitive development should occur  through play-based learning, project-based learning, arts and crafts, and other non-screen activities. Active participation should be a natural part of a child’s school day.  

Preschool and school age children benefit cognitively from frequent opportunities for movement and brain breaks in order to keep them engaged and improve attention and focus.  

Classroom learning centers should offer a variety of activities for the whole body and nervous system.  Hands on activities such as math manipulatives help to improve retention of concepts.  

Auditory activities help with listening skills, following directions and to strengthen skills needed for reading. Plenty of hands-on visual activities support skills needed for reading and math.   

Please encourage all parents and educators to use screen alternatives to support cognitive development.  Keep kids playing and learning through multiple senses to maximize their learning potential – without screen use!  

JAMA pediatrics shared a study that showed screen time being linked to reduced brain development in children.  MRI’s revealed that learning and development SLOWED down when children use screens excessively. 

Sounds pretty counterproductive, right?

Help your children learn best by using more of their body.

2) Improve Sensory Processing, Self-Regulation and Sleep in Kids by Decreasing Screen Time

Our brains constantly take in and process information inside and outside of our bodies at rapid speeds.  In order to self-regulate our bodies and emotions, we need to sleep well and process sensory input well. 

Studies show that screens are impacting sleep cycles.  If our kids in schools aren’t sleeping well at night, they’re not able to process sensory input efficiently, which impacts learning. 

Additionally, many studies have mentioned the effects of radiation on humans.  One particular study discussed the thickness of an adult’s skull and how it can block and filter some of the radiation around us from screens. 

Babies, toddlers, and children up to age 7 have thinner skulls and their ear canals are smaller.  Children can’t filter the Radio Frequency Electro Magnetic Fields (RF-EMF) to protect their RAPIDLY developing brain. 

This can significantly interfere with the function of the central nervous system and many studies are indicating the risk of cancer with RF-EMF exposure. 

Screen Alternatives to Support Sensory Processing

Easy ways to improve sensory processing and sleep are through sensory play, physical activity, movement, and outdoor play.  

At home or in schools, proprioceptive heavy work activities have powerful effects on the nervous system.  Giving input to the muscles and joints improves focus and attention and helps with self-regulation. 

Simple changes in position, such as working at a vertical surface or on the floor, also helps kids’ bodies and nervous systems.  

Core strength exercises help with good sitting posture and balance.  

Vestibular input from balance and movement activities helps direct the nervous system, which also supports visual development. 

Deep pressure activities are calming and organizing for the nervous system.  When provided throughout the day, they help kids improve self-regulation and sleep. 

Oral sensory activities are also important for a child’s ability to self-regulate.  

Finally, providing flexible seating options at home or in the classroom also supports sensory processing and self-regulation.        

3) Find Screen Time Alternatives to Increase Attention and Improve Behavior in Kids

Studies have discussed the impact of screen use on attention and even the ability to think clearly.

If a child gets too dependent on screens and too used to the fast-paced input, real world learning and play becomes boring for them.  

Reality becomes too slow for these kids and lacks excitement when they’re used to a screen.

Children tend to hyper-focus on shows or video games.  They lose total awareness of what’s happening around them. 

Sadly, I’ve had teachers say that they think their students would pay more attention to them during instruction if they recorded themselves and played it back on the Smart Board.  Why have we gotten to this point with our children? 

Excessive screen use makes it difficult for kids to fully attend to people. And, it makes them have difficulty following directions.  

This makes school extremely challenging for the students and the teachers! And it adds an extra challenge to parents. 

Screen dependency also impacts behavior.  

Some children don’t know how to behave in public or at a restaurant without a screen.  They’ve become addicted at an early age!

Furthermore, kids become all wound up after watching a fast paced screen.

Too much screen time impacts a child’s mood because of the lack of movement.  It’s sedentary and mindless time that does not give the child’s body and nervous system the sensory input it needs to function properly. 

Moreover, screens give young children  instant gratification.  Children get to watch a show, video or hear a song the second they want it.  It’s immediately available.  

Instant gratification impacts kids’ ability to wait and be patient.  These are important life skills that need to be practiced at home, in the community and in schools.

Screen Alternatives to Support Improved Attention, Behavior, (and Creativity)

Good behavior and improved attention and focus in kids results from a variety of movement and independent play activities throughout the day.  

Outdoor activities, gross motor play, and indoor physical activities provide children with sensory input that helps with behavior and attention. 

Taking walks, going to the playground or park, sand box play and riding a bike or scooter are a great way to give movement and physical activity. Yard games, ball activities, or scavenger hunts are fun ways for kids to play outdoors as well. 

Using alerting sensory strategies during daily routines improves attention and focus in kids.  (As well as the brain breaks and other sensory activities listed in the previous two sections.)

Calming sensory activities can be used as well to give children proprioceptive input. 

Indoor activities that improve attention and focus are arts and crafts, building toys and structures, card games, and board games. Creativity in the kitchen can be encouraged by baking, preparing a snack or making a small simple dish.  

When playing cards or games, coping skills can be practiced to help with behaviors in small and large groups. Taking turns, waiting, being patient, and learning to lose well are important behavioral skills for children. 

The post educational toys and games contains great examples of kid toys and games that improve focus and build other important developmental skills.

4) Improve Communication and Social Skills with Non-Screen Activities

Studies are showing an increase in language delays in children who spend more time in front of a screen.  

Children may learn some language concepts via an app, but language is, can be, and SHOULD BE naturally embedded into a child’s entire day! 

A language-rich environment will support communication skills in children of all ages.   A newborn will look at a caregiver and “talk” back and forth through cooing and smiling. 

With face to face and serve and return interactions, babies learn non-verbal communication. They tune into the people around them and pick up on social cues such as facial expressions and body language.

Making eye contact and having conversations with children builds a strong foundation for communication skills.  Children watch, hear, listen, and learn language. Language develops through conversations, books, rhymes, singing, reading, and playing music.

This continues to be important for preschool and school age children. 

However, I often see many early childhood programs play an increasing amount of videos throughout the day.  

Additionally, I’ve seen many kindergarten and school-age classes continue to use videos for learning lessons (well after the pandemic when the teacher is sitting off to the side and not fully engaging and interacting with the students.) 

Or as I previously mentioned, the kids each have their own device as part of their school programming. This doesn’t allow for social interaction and communication at all!  

Screen Alternative Activities to Improve Communication and Social Interaction 

Preschool classrooms and school age classrooms have multiple opportunities for building communication and social skills.  

Songs, rhymes, physical books, and audio books continue to build language skills for children. 

Games, finger-plays and songs during circle time build so many language skills. (More effective if led by an adult in front of them, not one on a screen!)

Our children will develop important communication and social skills through small group activities, board games, and hands-on learning projects. 

Another simple and great way to build communication skills is adding sharing time to the day.  Kids can turn to a peer or group of peers at a table and share a topic or question presented by the teacher. 

At home, make sure the family has frequent screen free time for conversation. The dinner table is the best place to communicate and improve social skills. 

Please don’t ever allow screens for children during meals. This is important family time to bond and communicate.  Kids will also learn to sit and attend, use patience, manners and take turns talking during meals.  

Additionally, they will eat more mindfully to help support feeling full and moderating their intake. 

5) Improve Gross Motor Development, Fine Motor Skills and Creativity With These Screen Time Alternatives 

A child’s brain gains much more from coordinating various parts of the body at the same time.  This activates more parts of the brain. 

Cells that fire together, wire together! When kids play and participate in multi-sensory learning activities, they strengthen pathways in the brain needed for learning. 

Screen use is often sedentary and does not require much movement or use from the body. Pediatricians are concerned regarding screen time use and its correlation to obesity.  

Another negative about screen time use and physical development, is that it’s not good for children’s posture. Kids are often slumped in a rounded posture with their eyes very close to the screen.  This negatively affects their alertness and attentiveness when the screen is removed. 

Screen Time Alternatives to Improve Gross Motor Skills and Fine Motor Skills 

Core strength, sensory development, and basic gross motor skills are gained through movement and physical play.  Additionally, proper seated posture  during fine motor activities supports the proper developmental sequence that kids need for success in school with basic motor activities.

Encourage participation in hand-eye coordination activities, physical outdoor games, gross motor coordination activities, as well as indoor gross motor games.  

For example, gross motor games can include throwing or rolling a ball to a target, kicking a ball, climbing a structure, jumping on a target, balancing on a curb, or riding a bike on a path.  

Gross and fine motor play activities help children develop bilateral coordination and crossing midline skills.

Crossing the midline should naturally and developmentally happen around age two but I see numerous school age kindergarten through third grade students who don’t automatically cross the midline.  

Midline crossing activities help improve the communication of both sides of the brain for learning.  

Many kids lack hand strength in preschool and kindergarten.  Play opportunities should focus on hand strength and hand dexterity in order to support grasp development and pre-writing skills.   

Find toys and games that support fine motor development as well as simple craft activities that improve fine motor skills and creativity.   

Screen Time Alternatives to Improve Creativity

Creativity is so important for brain development.  I see many children who have difficulty in elementary schools with independent thinking and creativity.  Too many kids expect to be told and shown exactly what to do without leaving any room for their own thoughts and ideas.  

Encourage kids to use their own hands and thoughts to build structures with blocks, Legos, or other STEAM toys.  Offer fingerpaint, playdoh, painting, drawing, and crafts as part of the learning process.  

In addition, children can use creativity to build a scene out of a book, build a fort, make a house out of an old box, set up a dollhouse, make up a card game, create a small garden, make and decorate a snack or dessert.  

Embed opportunities for pretend play or role playing.  Examples include activities such as dressing up for a theme day, using figurines to act out parts of a book, or role playing parts of books and stories.

6) Support Visual Development and Visual-Perceptual Skills Through Non-Screen Play Activities

Our visual systems are very complex.  A child’s eyes need to take in information near and far, at different speeds and in various locations. 

Our brains and nervous systems function on a use it or lose it basis.

Excessive screen time can cause the visual system to become overstimulated. It’s constant input for the eyes at rapid speeds.  Too much input for one area of the brain can create imbalances. 

Additionally, blue light naturally comes from the sun and is alerting for our nervous systems.  But blue light from screens causes digital eye strain, headaches, and watery, dry, or blurry eyes.  We don’t yet know the long term damage to the eyes.

I’ve had some parents and teachers share puzzle apps that they love and think build skills.  But take these examples and consider the differences that are happening:

Puzzle App vs. a Wooden Puzzle

Scenario One: A child is playing a visual perceptual puzzle game on a small screen, gently sliding a finger across the screen to approximately match a shape to its outline.  The app is built for child success, so accuracy does not have to be perfect.  The child slides the shape around the screen and when it gets close to the proper outline, it magically slides in. Immediate feedback is given.  

Scenario Two: A child is holding a wooden shape with the tips of the fingers. The arm is suspended against gravity in the air as the eyes scan the large puzzle board to find the match.  The match is located visually.  The child’s shoulder remains stable as the forearm, wrist and fingertips turn and rotate and work together in order to get the shape to fit accurately.  The child carefully uses precise movements, motor feedback and problem solving to properly place the puzzle piece. 

What a big difference!  You can see which scenario is firing more parts of the brain.  (Without the damaging blue light, radiation, and excess stimulation from the screen.)

Add this to scenario two: the child finds an incorrect puzzle match at first.  The child has to figure out that the shape won’t fit after multiple trials and has to scan the puzzle for another match. 

The added movements and work for the brain will strengthen memory when the correct match is found.  The child will be rewarded with success internally.  Not from an app that quickly rewarded an approximate match. 

Improve Visual Skills with Screen Time Alternative Activities 

Children’s far vision develops through outdoor play experiences or play in large open spaces.  It’s important for children to see near and far during daily routines and activities.  

Specific balance and movement activities improve visual skills.

Movement play and independent exploration helps depth perception develop in children.  In addition, playing with moving objects such as a ball, cars, balloons, bubbles, or bean bags, helps with visual tracking skills. 

Development of visual-perceptual skills occurs during hands on play.  Building with structures, completing puzzles, playing card games and playing board games support visual perceptual skills that kids need for learning.    

Gross motor play, fine motor play and manipulating toys and objects teaches children about an object’s form, size, shape, and position. It also teaches them about distance and depth perception. 

These are important building blocks for pre-reading and pre-math skills.

7) Enhance Emotional Development and Coping Skills Without Screen Time

We are all human beings.  We’re meant to connect with other people.  

Children, especially, need the emotional connection with a caregiver or an adult or a teacher.  They need to know they are important, loved and valued.

This helps with feelings of self-worth and security. Parenting and teaching face to face with less screen time allows us to give genuine and quality feedback to our children.  

Several studies in pediatric journals around the globe have discussed correlations of screen use with depression and anxiety in children (as well as sleep problems and obesity.) 

As adults, we need to be good role models at home and in school.  

Make sure you limit your own screen time and social media use so that you can be emotionally connected to your children!  They need you the most.

Kids develop coping skills when they learn to work through problems, learn to wait and learn to be patient.  

Frequent pacifying from screens interferes with this.  Social and emotional skills develop through group cooperation games, play-based learning, games, and mindful activities such as art projects. 

Assessing Children’s Screen Time Use at Home and in Educational Settings

Screens and digital devices are no longer just at home.  I’ve been so worried about excessive use with digital devices in homes and communities, but now they’re also in growing numbers of preschools and schools. This digital world that’s evolving scares me.  

Child development and the natural developmental sequence has not changed, and it won’t.  But WE are allowing interference and disruption to this natural process.  

Adding too much technology too soon is not setting kids up for proper growth, development, and success.

Babies, toddlers and young children stare at screens everywhere.  Preschoolers and kindergarten students are completing “learning” activities and lessons on them.  I see second grade students and older children hunched over laptops with their faces inches from the screens for increased portions of their day.  

They complete morning work, reading, math, science and social studies lessons, or they take quizzes or tests.  I’ve even seen younger school-age kids on them during lunch or outdoor recess!!  

The occupational therapist in me wants to shout out to the world! We need to cut back on screen use at home and in schools before we cause more damage. 

It’s really important to look at the reasons why screens are frequently placed in front of our young children.  

Let’s work together to decrease screen time in our children. The first step is assessing how much your kids are spending time on screens. 

Assessing Screen Time at Home and Tips for Parents

From a parent perspective, offering a screen turns into a convenient and easy way to entertain, pacify, avoid a meltdown, or to get your child to eat.  

As a mother of 3, I get it!

However, it’s important to step back and ask: Does your child really NEED the screen, or are they just getting used to having it all the time during their routines? 

Stop and think about who is training who?!  Are you really teaching, guiding and training your child if they get to call the shots all the time?  

Are there more important skills that you can be building in your child during your daily routines?

It must be remembered that children were raised for centuries without screens!  They learned to be patient, listen, behave, eat, and occupy their time with independent and creative play.  Their foundational academic skills were built through play and everyday interactions and conversations.

Kids do not need all this extra screen time.  They’ll actually learn to behave better without it!  And young children will gain important developmental and lifelong skills.  

Additionally, in order to help them even more, make sure you’re setting a good example for them with your screen use.  

When you play, interact and spend quality time with your child, put your phone away and take off your watch!  

Unplug and give yourself needed tech breaks as well.  

Enjoy being present and mindful!

Assessing Screen Time in Schools

Technology is a part of our world, so schools are trying to keep up.  But is it money well spent with our young children? Does it really invest in the learning process and does it improve test scores?  

Did the pandemic cause us all to slip into some bad habits with increased use of screens?   

Teachers continue to press play and sit to the side of the room, completely removing themselves from the learning process.  They have not gone back to their effective in-person lessons.

Have we forgotten how to properly support our children‘s development and learning?  Are we forgetting how to be role models in the learning environment and with the learning process?

When we remove the teacher, remove the hands-on learning, remove the listening and following directions, remove the waiting, and take away the peer interaction, does it help our young children’s developing brains and bodies? 

In educational settings, I strongly encourage preschool, kindergarten and first and second grade teachers to avoid screens for learning.  Kids get enough screen time elsewhere.  

Administrators in some schools have placed devices in the hands of EVERY student.  

So the teachers who once taught kids using multi-sensory learning opportunities are now forced to use iPads or tablets as part of learning. The difference is obvious to them. They’re frustrated. Because they know the damage that is being done to the children. 

In short, development has not changed and it won’t.  Our educational programs need to provide developmentally appropriate opportunities for learning.  

Tips for Teachers Regarding Screen Use in Schools

Teachers, please check your lesson plans and look at the amount of time you have screens as part of your daily schedule.  Please remove all or as much of the scheduled time as you can remove.

If you are stuck using them, please limit the time to the best of your ability.  Pick certain days of the week to use them, and gradually reduce it if you can.  

My biggest tip as an occupational therapist, IF you are asked to have your kids use devices, have them lie on their bellies on the floor with the screen propped in front of them. 

This at least keeps their necks in a better position and it builds neck, upper back, and shoulder strength and stability needed for good posture.  Plus, they receive calming pressure input from the floor.  

Talk to your administrators about child development and how screens are negatively affecting learning.

Whether at home, or at school, young children’s bodies need to move, play, explore, and interact with the world around them!  Learning occurs in everyday experiences during everyday routines for children. 

Multi-sensory learning opportunities significantly improve brain functioning. They create a strong foundation for a child’s brain and nervous system. In the critical early years of development, it’s important to create strong pathways in the brain. This gives a proper foundation for development and best supports lifelong learning and growth.

Screen Time Recommendations and Limits for Children

Part of assessing too much screen time is also knowing the recommendations so that you can limit use or schedule specific times for tech use.  New rules for your classroom and homes will create good habits that highly benefit children.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Academy of Pediatrics have similar recommendations regarding screen time and digital media use: 

• No screen time (or limited amounts of time) until the age of two (NO screen time is BEST!)  
• Video chatting with family members after 18 months is permitted; this can encourage back and forth communication
• Between 2 and 4/5: one hour at a time of screen time per day with other periods of sedentary play (without a screen)
• During screen time, add interactive time with your child (watch a show with them, talk about it)
• Read books and/or tell stories with a caregiver (once daily for a one year old)
• Encourage specific amounts of active play and physical activity
• Adequate amounts of sleep

The American Academy of Pediatrics has a family media plan and guide to help create media rules for the home for various age groups.  

Additionally, use parental controls to set a daily limit of screen time.  You can also set app limits on your child’s device.     

Please do your part in reducing screen use in young children! Share this post with your family, friends, educators, and/or colleagues. 

Related Blog Posts

Pyramid of Learning

How to Help Kids with Behavior Problems

Positive Quotes for Parents, Teachers and Educators 

Editor’s Note: This post has been modified, updated, and revamped from it’s original content.

The post Screen Time Alternatives to Support Development in Kids appeared first on DEVELOP LEARN GROW.

Not only do I use motor coordination tasks as part of my treatment plan when I’m working one-on-one with individual students but I also use them when I’m working with an entire class of students.  All kids need them!

I strongly encourage parents, teachers and students to practice gross motor activities as often as they can.  Kids need the movement input as part of their daily routines in order to help improve motor efficiency and independence with daily tasks.  

Movement activities are important for sensory processing which supports postural security in kids. Motor coordination activities during my occupational therapy lessons prepares a child’s body and brain. It works on sensorimotor skills such as motor planning, reflex maturity, body awareness, and awareness of two sides of the body.

The coordination activities support perceptual motor development such as eye-hand coordination and eye muscle control and visual perception skills (visual spatial awareness.)  Additionally, gross motor coordination activities are an effective way to build motor skills and improve fine motor coordination of the smaller muscles.  

What are Gross Motor Skills and Motor Coordination?

Gross motor skills involve using the larger muscles in the body to perform bigger movements. Motor coordination is the ability to move multiple body parts in a coordinated, effective and efficient manner.  Motor coordination activities in occupational therapy can consist of gross motor coordination activities, bilateral coordination activities, and fine motor coordination skills activities. 

Kids and adults perform gross motor movements either consciously or automatically.  For example, conscious movements occur when learning a brand new task such as crawling, climbing, riding a bike, skipping, or learning a new exercise sequence.  Practice and mastery of each of the various tasks allows for automatic movements and automatic motor actions (motor planning.)    

Motor planning is the ability to plan, organize and carry out a movement or combination of movements.  After the body performs the motor task, higher level processing occurs as the muscles send feedback to the brain.  If needed, motor adjustments are made in order to master the task or skill.   As a result, the skill is mastered and automatic movements occur.

More practice with the task or skill in kids creates automatic movements from the body that are executed in a smooth and coordinated way.  For instance, riding a bike requires good balance, strong core muscles, adequate visual processing skills, and good bilateral coordination skills.  A child first thinks about and learns each skill step and movement until riding a bike becomes automatic.  

Furthermore, practice with motor coordination activities creates and strengthens motor pathways in the brain to allow for automatic movements during everyday actions and routines. Think of all the steps needed to get in a car, place a backpack on the floor, and buckle. Or the steps and skills required while brushing teeth.  

Kids learn to conceive, plan and carry out motor tasks correctly from start to finish without stopping to think about it. Then they can complete all the steps without thinking (or even watching) after they master it.

Why are Motor Coordination Activities Important for Kids?

The larger muscles in the body develop before the smaller muscles.  Learning to control the big muscles during gross motor activities helps with control during fine motor activities. 

Gross motor coordination activities are a great way to give children sensory input for the brain and to build basic life skills.  Kids require motor coordination during everyday tasks.  Smooth and efficient movements are needed during gross motor activities and for the development of fine motor skills.  

Sensory processing skills develop when kids have opportunities to move during everyday activities.  Large movements give proprioceptive and vestibular sensory input to the brain that helps with attention and learning.  

Large motor movements give proprioceptive input to the large muscle groups and joints in the body.  Moving bigger body parts during various activities sends messages to the brain and then the brain sends messages back to the body. This helps with gross motor skill development, muscle tone, and motor planning so that movements become more automatic as kids complete daily activities at home and at school.  

Motor coordination activities provide sensory information for the vestibular system through movement and balancing. Young children’s bodies are meant to move!

They need this input in order to develop a foundation for developing other skills, as shown in the Pyramid of Learning Movement helps them perceive where their body is in space.  This in turn, helps them develop body awareness and visual perception needed for learning tasks.  

Large gross motor movements not only provide sensory input, but they work on coordination of bigger muscles to help make fine motor activities easier.  When kids coordinate and control the large muscles of the body well, it helps with being able to control the smaller muscles in the body.  

Examples of Motor Coordination Activities for Kids in OT and During Everyday Activities

There are a few different types of motor coordination movements depending on the motor activity.

Gross motor coordination activities involve learning and performing different movements throughout the body. Basically, coordination tasks can involve symmetrical movements in the body where both sides of the body are doing the same thing.  For example, symmetrical movements are used when clapping, jumping with two feet onto a target or doing jumping jacks.

Additionally, motor coordination tasks can involve reciprocal movements such as when crawling, climbing, running, walking up steps, or ice skating.  Gross motor and fine motor coordination tasks can also include bilateral movements where each side of the body is doing something different (hopping on one foot, playing the drums, or holding paper with the non-dominant hand while cutting with scissors.)

Motor coordination activities involve bilateral integration, visual motor integration, and fine motor skills that are needed for daily tasks.  These coordination activities improve a child’s abilities to be more independent during self-help and fine motor activities. 

For example, learning to crawl or climb steps helps develop bilateral movements that are later needed during a fine motor task such as putting on clothing, engaging a zipper, snipping paper, or tying laces of a shoe.

Another example is using the entire arm to “sky writing” letters in the air using the index finger.  This helps the body and brain feel, understand and learn movements that are needed when learning to form letters properly.  Kids are able to better understand moving small muscles from top down or around in a controlled manner after using the big muscles. 

Gross Motor Coordination Activities for Kids in Occupational Therapy

Young children need daily opportunities for full body motor coordination activities. 

The following list of gross motor coordination activities are ones that I use as a pediatric occupational therapist.  They are a routine part of my treatment plan.   The coordination activities are separated into two categories. 

Firstly, I’m sharing basic gross motor coordination activities for preschoolers and kindergarten students. 

Then, I list higher level coordination activities for older elementary students. 

My favorites activities are the ones that work on core strength, balance, and arm strength, as well as tasks that give proprioceptive input and work on motor planning.

Motor Coordination Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten Students  

1. Walking on a line taped on the floor – (straight line, or lines with changes in direction; wide then thin)
2. Balance beam
3. Walking on steppingstones – (motor planning, core work, body control, and balance) 
4. Short obstacle courses
5. Jumping with 2 feet together – (great way to give proprioceptive input)
6. Jumping with 2 feet together onto targets – (use tape on the floor, rubber floor spotters, tiles, or designs on the floor or carpet)
7. Crab walk – Fun ways to work on core muscles, reciprocal movements of the arms AND legs, and shoulder stability and hand strength.  Crab walks are a kid favorite! 
8. Balancing on each foot  
9. Stepping over objects
10. Jumping over a low object
11. Galloping  
12. Skipping  
13. Hopping on 1 foot – (great amounts of proprioceptive input)
14. Hopping on 1 foot on a target  
15. Marching – (vary the speed and direction)  
16. Cross crawls – (a slow march where opposite elbow touches opposite knee)
17. Riding a bike
18. Wheelbarrow walking
19. Hoppity ball – (great core, deep pressure, body control, and movement activity) 
20. Arm circles or airplane flying  
21. Motor imitation songs – (wonderful coordination activities that are also great for sequencing and following directions. See 20 Movement Songs from Growing Little Brains)
22. Boom whackers or rhythm sticks – (adding auditory input and rhythm are great for the brain for learning!)  

Motor Coordination Activities for Elementary Students

1. Jumping jacks
2. Catching a ball
3. Bouncing and catching a tennis ball
4. Velcro catch mitt
5. Throwing a ball or beanbag to target
6. Bowling games
7. Kicking to a target
8. Modified hockey or paddle ball
9. Reciprocal stride jumps
10. Inchworm
11. Imitating movement patterns
12. Pattern clapping
13. Rhythm tapping
14. Limbo
15. Jumping side to side over a line
16. Hopscotch 
17. Jumping rope
18. Hula hoop 
19. Pogo stick
20. Walking stilts 
21. Roller racer 

Have fun with these motor coordination activities. They significantly make a difference with the kids that I see during my work as an occupational therapist. I’m sure you will see a difference when your young children can practice them too!

Additional Resources and Occupational Therapy Ideas for Motor Coordination Activities for Kids  

• 61 Fun Indoor Gross Motor Activities for Kids
• Skill Building Outdoor Games for Kids
• 40 Core Exercises for Kids (free printable)
• 25 Proprioceptive Brain Breaks to Improve Focus and Attention (free printable)
• 30 Easy Movement Activities for Kids

Interested in an 8-Week Brain Break Exercise Program?

Whenever I work with large classrooms in schools, I share whole class exercises to build important motor skills for kids. I’ve had great feedback on this 8-week classroom exercise program.  It includes core exercises, crossing midline, sensory activities for learning, visual activities, hand dexterity, and more!

It shares a series of exercises to practice every day for 8 weeks.

Use these specific occupational therapy exercises to improve:

Attention… focus… core stability… crossing midline… sensory processing… visual development… & more… Click for more info!

The post 43 Occupational Therapy Motor Coordination Activities appeared first on DEVELOP LEARN GROW.

Throughout my years of working in the schools as an occupational therapist, I often collaborate with teachers in creating classroom exercise programs.  

I make sure that the exercise programs I create address several areas of development.  It’s important to make every movement break count in order to maximize the benefits for kids.  

My classroom exercises incorporate activities that stimulate and strengthen sensory pathways for attention and learning in a child’s brain.  They focus on using movement, balance and vestibular input as well as calming and organizing proprioceptive input for the muscles.  Whole class exercises should also address posture, core strength, and fine motor skill development in the body.

Decades ago, I would share classroom exercises for special needs students that I worked with in elementary schools.  But now, teachers and I are finding that the movement activities and OT strategies benefit ALL SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN!  

Why Do Kids Need Brain Breaks and Classroom Exercises?

There are so many changes in society right now that negatively impact development.

Changes in play and routines during infancy, toddlerhood and preschool interfere with typical sensory and physical development.  

Additionally, the increased use of technology impacts motor skill development and attention.

Kids’ bodies aren’t developing the strong foundation they need for optimal school-age performance. So many teachers I know report difficulties with attention and basic motor skills from the entire class.  They see this as the “new normal.”

Their students struggle to pay attention and to complete basic fine motor activities such as managing their belongings and opening lunch containers.  

I find it absolutely shocking how quickly a whole class of elementary students fatigue with the simplest movement activity!  During my whole class OT lessons, many kids struggle to hold their arms out to the sides.  They can’t stand near their desk or in the hall without leaning against something for support!  

Kids’ bodies need more routine physical activity.  Classroom exercises can be easily added to learning routines.  

Research Studies Show the Effectiveness of Classroom Exercise Programs

Show me the …data!

When working in elementary schools, there’s always that need for evidence-based practices. We can’t just do fun, cool activities that support cognitive function and academic achievement.   We need proof!

The proof and evidence support what we do and it’s important for best practices.  

Moreover, it shows state and federal programs the effectiveness and positive effect of physical activities.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Center for Disease Control and Prevention shares an in-depth study, The Association Between School-Based Physical Activity, Including Physical Education, and Academic Performance.  Part of this study shows the effectiveness of classroom physical activity and its positive impact on academics.

Classroom physical exercises increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain.  It enhances connections in the brain. Physical Activity, Brain and Cognition – Science Direct shares this supporting evidence.  Many other studies show the positive effects of physical activity on the brain.  Exercise enhances brain health and executive function. 

Additionally, there’s an increase in childhood obesity in the United States due to a lack of physical activity and increased sedentary play.  Adding routine movement breaks can help kids create better life habits. 

Exercise improves mental health and reduces stress.  It makes learning fun!

John J. Ratey, MD, is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, best selling author, and an internationally recognized expert in Neuropsychiatry.  One of his publications, “Spark-The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain” discusses the transformative effects of exercise on the brain. 

When referring to the types of physical exercises that should be chosen for the body, Dr. Ratey states: “The more you challenge your brain, the better the brain works.”

Hence why I created this exercise program for your students! 

Challenge various parts of children’s bodies… to stimulate more parts of their brains!

School-Based Classroom Exercises and Activities for Kids

When I help teachers create exercise programs, I often create activity banks and lists.  I make different categories of brain break exercises, daily physical exercises or helpful fine motor activities for a teacher to choose from. 

On this site, there are already several blog posts with lists of activities and fun exercises for kids:

• 25 Heavy Work / Deep Pressure Activities (proprioceptive brain breaks – free printable)
• Brain Break Exercise Series (using components of Brain Gym – free printable)
• 48 Alerting Sensory Strategies for the classroom 
• 40 Core Exercises for Kids – Fun in Occupational Therapy  (free printable)
• 30 Fun Movement Activities and Ideas for Elementary Kids
• 17 Special Balance and Movement Activities to Improve Visual Skills
• Core Stability Activities Using a Vertical Surface and / or the floor (free printable)
• 18 Quick Crossing Midline Activities
• Bilateral Coordination Activities
• Infinity Loop Exercises for Visual Tracking
• Activities to Enhance Reading Skills (click for link to free printable; related posts with the printable: visual skills activities and auditory activities)
• 61 Fun Gross Motor Activities for Elementary Indoor Recess
• The Best and Quickest Handwriting Warm Up Exercises
• 107+ Easy OT Hand Strengthening Activities & Games for Kids
• 33 Sensory Kindergarten and Preschool Writing Activities
• Dexterity in the Hands: 43 In-Hand Manipulation Activities & Games to Improve Handwriting
• 42 Easy Visual Perceptual Activities That Enhance Learning

Many teachers, therapists and parents appreciate the lists of ideas.  They serve as quick references of activities and exercises for kids.  

Some teachers that I talk to end up not knowing when to use them, for how long, and how often. 

So, I created a comprehensive classroom exercise program that addresses sensory-motor, core, and fine motor skill development.

An Easy Classroom Exercise Program

This occupational therapy classroom exercise program includes activities that support skills needed for the classroom. It consists of a schedule of activities and specifies how many of each exercise to perform.  

I developed a specific sequence that benefits kids.  The sequence addresses important foundational skills for the brain and body.  

Additionally, I’ve found that repeating a series of exercises for a week is really helpful for the students.  It helps each child improve their skill level with each task.

They practice each series every day for an entire week.  This helps to improve motor memory.  (And for some to gain personal bests.)  

Repeating the sequence for a week helps kids focus on making sure they perform each movement activity and exercise correctly.  It’s better than jumping around or rushing through new exercises and different exercises every day.

And the best part, each week of this exercise series can be completed in about 2 minutes.  It’s so easy to add to your day!

What Are the Benefits of This 8-Week Classroom Exercise Brain Break Series? 

Whenever I choose (or help teachers choose) brain breaks for kids, I make sure that they address the sensory systems and sensorimotor development.  This classroom exercise series does just that! 

Each of the exercises were carefully selected and grouped in specific combinations.  This ensures that each week of the physical activities is addressing development. 

This 8-week Brain Break Exercise Program only requires a few minutes of physical activity in your students’ day.  The benefits and goals of this program:

1. Activates various parts of the brain to prepare it for learning

This classroom exercise program includes Brain Gym exercises.  These simple physical movements stimulate the top, bottom, front, back, left, and right sides of the brain. 

Activating all parts of the brain for learning is a great way to get your students ready for a lesson!

2. Increases focus & attention

The sensory exercises in this program include several movement (vestibular) and muscle and joint (proprioceptive) activities. 

Moving the head in specific directions increases alertness and wakes up the brain.  It stimulates the semi-circular canals in the vestibular system. 

Balancing activities give input to the muscles, the movement system, and the eyes. 

Activating certain muscle groups during balancing or during specific exercises provides calming and organizing input for the brain.  This in turn, helps kids focus and learn better!

3. Encourages crossing midline to enhance communication of both sides of the brain

Midline crossing activities are embedded into this classroom exercise program.  It’s important for the right hand and the left hand to cross over the imaginary middle line of the body (as well as the feet and eyes.)

Specific movements that cross the center of the body help neurons in the brain cross from one side to the other.   This strengthens neural pathways in the brain for learning. 

Helping both sides of the brain communicate also helps decrease letter and number reversals. 

Additionally, crossing midline helps both hands work together for writing, cutting and fine motor activities.  And, it helps kids with hand dominance.

4. Stimulates the visual system for daily learning activities

The visual exercises included in this series help the eyes cross the midline of the body.  They work on visual tracking.

This is extremely important for reading and writing.  The eyes are busy moving around, tracking, and focusing. 

Additionally, the balancing activities also support the visual system and the eye muscles. 

5. Improves core strength and stability for sitting upright & attending

Many children are not developing the core strength they need before they start school. 

This significantly impacts their ability to simply sit upright.

If they are constantly shifting around to use different muscle groups, they lose focus on work.  

The exercises included increase core strength and stability.

6. Develops stability in the upper back and shoulders to help the hands complete fine motor tasks during learning

A child needs a strong core as well as upper body stability.  Decreased tummy time in their earlier years causes weakness in the upper back, necks and shoulders.

Exercises in this program target upper back, neck and shoulder muscles. 

7. Increases awareness in the body and hands for more success completing school tasks

The exercises for the hands stretch and activate the small muscles.  They give motor feedback to the hands to increase strength and help with awareness and coordination. 

This helps with grasp development and hand strength for pencil and scissor skills.

8. Improves dexterity needed for school tasks (in the arms & hands)

As the weeks in the program continue, exercises are added to work on smaller movements in the fingers. Hand dexterity is extremely important for writing efficiently.  And for completing fine motor tasks without fatigue. 

9. Makes physical movement a fun part of a student’s day

The additional benefits of this program are that kids are learning to move their bodies to help with learning. The activities are fun and engaging.

10. Easy for you to add to the learning routine

The last benefit of this exercise program is that it’s an easy one to add to your current learning routines. It doesn’t take up that much time.

Classroom Exercise Program – An 8 Week Brain Break Series to Help Your Students Succeed!

This 8-Week Classroom Exercise Program is beneficial for elementary and middle school students.  You will have lifetime access to this program with your purchase. 

The program comes in a PDF format.  Download it or save it to your drive and pull it up on your screen.  Or, print it once for your use. 

It can be used as often as you like throughout your school year.  Start it at the beginning of the new school year or start it after a long holiday break. 

If you choose to use it at the beginning of the year, you will have time to repeat it.  You can re-start the series after a holiday break and then in the spring for the end of the school year.

These movement exercises will help your kids improve attention & focus using movement, balance & muscle input.

Developed by an Occupational Therapist – the exercises and movement activities target crossing midline, core stability, postural support for fine motor development, hand awareness, finger movements, & more… Help engage your kids in learning – stimulate the brain by using developmentally appropriate exercises and activities!

Practice each exercise sequence – in UNDER 2 MINUTES – for an entire week to develop fine motor and sensory based attention skills needed for the classroom! Repeating the sequence all week encourages students to improve what they can do by the end of each series. They can work for personal bests to help their bodies and brains. 

Click the button to get your Brain Break Exercise Program:

In addition to using this exercise program, make sure that your kids are getting adequate vigorous physical activity at recess, at home and during physical education.  Please don’t ever withhold recess or outdoor time from them!

Feedback from Teachers who Use My OT Brain Breaks and the Classroom Exercise Program

If you have been following Develop Learn Grow or have read a few other posts, you know how passionate I am about getting kids the right kind of input for their bodies and brains. 

I love sharing practical strategies that make it easy for you to help more kids.

The academic expectations for kids has changed – BUT development has not changed.  And it never will.

I’m here for you… to share my background and experience… in order to help you help your students!

I love what I do!  I enjoy sharing activities in order to help more students thrive. 

Some feedback that I’ve received:

“We wish we had this information and these exercises before our students had to take their state tests.”  -Collaborating Learning Support Teachers

“Everything that you share for my young students is so important for their development.  I can’t believe none of this was covered in my college courses!”  -Third year teacher

Related Posts

Flexible Seating for the Classroom

Brain Break Exercise Series

Pyramid of Learning

The post Classroom Exercise Program – 8 Weeks of Brain Breaks appeared first on DEVELOP LEARN GROW.

Play is a great way to build fine motor development in young children.  Check out these occupational therapist’s recommendations of 93 of the best toys for fine motor skills. The toys are divided into 6 different skill areas to help improve fine motor development skills.

Many parents and educators have been seeking my help for ideas to help with fine motor skill development.  So many kids are struggling to complete basic fine motor tasks at home and in school.  

I continue to see significant declines in fine motor development in many kids.  Not just the kids that I need to support as a pediatric occupational therapist.  But in ALL KIDS. 

Changes in play activities and decreased gross motor play impacts fine motor development.  

Teachers are seeing the significant impact on young children in kindergarten and first grade as well as in older kids. 

Some teachers are sadly saying, “This is our new norm!”

But there’s such an easy fix! Play is the work of the child. So many learning, sensory, and motor skills are addressed during play activities.

Best Toys for Fine Motor Skills in Kids – 6 Categories, 93 Great Options

As an occupational therapist, I’ve helped parents and educators for decades find toys that help with motor skills. 

I’m excited to share a list of some great tools, toys and games for fine motor skill development. 

Instead of making 6 different posts, I separated them by skill level so that you can find what you need, all in one area!

I’ve organized this list of fine motor skills toys into 6 different categories of hand skills.  My occupational therapy picks support the development of the fine motor skills listed below. Click on each skill area to jump right to that category in this list:

1. Shoulder Stability and Grading of Movements
2. Bilateral Coordination
3. Hand Strength
4. Grasp Development 
5. Dexterity (precise movements of the fingers)
6. Sensory Motor Development

[This post contains Amazon affiliate links for your convenience.  See below for more info.]

Toys are such a great way to work on fine motor development. Kids don’t realize they’re building skills when they play in different ways!  

Toys, games, and occupational therapy activities are the easiest way to build a child’s fine motor skills.  Young children and older kids can naturally build fine motor skill development through play. Toys and games stimulate hand eye coordination, visual perceptual skills, and problem-solving skills.     

1) Best Toys for Shoulder Stability and Grading of Hand Movements

A child needs good core strength to support fine motor skill development (click the link for core exercises.) Core stability supports good posture and shoulder stability for proper fine motor skill development.  

Younger kids and older children currently really struggle to have good posture and stability.  I see it in many of the schools where I work.

The window clings and magnets can be used at vertical surfaces such as an easel, window, door, or a wall.

Vertical activities are great for shoulder stability as well as stacking games and toys.  In addition, grading of movements are important skills when manipulating different types of toys.  There are lots of fun ways to work on these skills during play and learning.

Melissa & Doug Deluxe Standing Art Easel - Dry-Erase Board, Chalkboard, Paper Roller - FSC Certified

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2) Bilateral Coordination Games and Toys for Fine Motor Practice

It’s important to find kid toys that encourage the use of both hands to work together (bilateral coordination.) Kids develop hand dominance – one hand does the work and the other hand helps to hold and assist. These toys also work on hand eye coordination, which supports skills needed for writing, cutting and daily self-help tasks.  

These are the best toys that I like to use an occupational therapy sessions for bilateral coordination .  

Learning Resources Spike The Fine Motor Hedgehog - Toddler Learning Toys, Fine Motor and Sensory Toys for Kids Ages 18+ Months, Montessori Toys,Educational Toys for Toddlers

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3) Best Toys to Build Hand Strength in Kids

Hand strength is important for fine motor skill development. Lack of hand strength is a big problem that I see in young kids as an occupational therapist.  

Little hands are not participating in as many hand strengthening activities which decreases the development of fine motor muscles. Decreased gross motor activities, fewer hands-on activities, increased screen time, and decreased outdoor play negatively impact fine motor skill development.   

Many kids lack the proper skills to hold drawing tools, to open containers, to manage fasteners and to use scissors. 

There are tons of great ways to work on strengthening the hand muscles and fine motor control through play. 

A baby’s fine motor skills are dependent on opportunities for proper play experiences using the best fine motor toys.   The use of bouncers and saucers should be limited and floor time play or seated play should be encouraged.

For younger children, it’s important to focus on toys that keep the thumb opposite the other fingers.  Ones that are palm sized or a little larger are a great way to work on the little muscles that support the palmar arches of the hands.  

In older kids, I continue to find toys that focus on strengthening the thumb.  

Some of the building toys listed improve strength but also stimulate creativity.   Check out these fun hand strengthening toys.

4) Games and Best Toys for Grasp Development in Kids

Many of these next toys also focus on hand strength within the thumb and palm.  However, they also incorporate pincer grasp development and skill finger development. 

A pincer grasp involves the thumb and the tip of the index finger. This significantly supports pencil grasp development.

The skill fingers are the thumb, index, and middle fingers. They are the working fingers of the hand that should be used during grasping and manipulating of small objects.  

Hammering games are good to help develop hand dominance.  

Fore more information, review Pencil Grasp Development- 5 Ways to Help Develop Fine Motor Skills and 107+ Hand Strengthening Activities and Games for Kids.  

The following list contains my favorite OT toys for grasp development that are so much fun. Kids don’t realize they’re exercising their hands and working on grasp development!

Skrtuan Toddler Fine Motor Skill Toy, Clamp Bee to Hive Matching Game, Montessori Wooden Bee Hive Toys, Wood Color Sorting Puzzle Early Learning Preschool Educational Gift for 2 3 4 Years Old Kids

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Arcade Game Toys for 3 Year Old, Whack Game Mole, Mini Electronic Interactive Hammering & Pounding Toys, Gift Idea for Toddler Kids Boys Girls Ages 3 4 5 6 7 8+, Cartoon Zombie Style Fun Halloween Toy

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TOOKYLAND Fine Motor Toys, Toy Hammer and Nails Game is Montessori Toys That Exercise Children's Hands-on Skills and Develop Their Imagination for Kids

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Learning Resources Noodle Knockout! Fine Motor Game,Fine Motor Skills Toys, 67 Pieces, Ages 4+

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Learning Resources Grab That Donut!, 39 Pieces, Ages 3+,Fine Motor Game, Toddler Learning Toys,Toddler Toys, Educational Games for Kids, Preschool Games,Donut Toys

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Classic TOMY Handheld Water Game - Kids Ring Toss Style Arcade Games - Kids Travel Activities and Car Games - Handheld Game for Kids Road Trip Essentials - Dolphin

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PlayMonster The Original Waterfuls — Classic Handheld Water Game Retro Vintage Travel Toy Screen Free Kids Game Just Add Water — Now with 6 Additional Game Options for Kids Ages 3, 4, 5, 6 and Up

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Hasbro Gaming Hi Ho! Cherry-O Board Game for 2 to 4 Players Kids Ages 3 and Up (Amazon Exclusive)

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Educational Insights The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game, 4 players, for Preschoolers & Toddlers, Gift for Toddlers Ages 3+

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Learning Resources Super Sorting Pie - 68 Pieces, Ages 3+ Toddler Fine Motor Toy, Preschool Learning Games, Develops Counting and Color Recognition, Pretend Play Food, Kids Tweezers

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hand2mind Reading Rods Alphabet & CVC Words, Word Building Activities, Letter Blocks, CVC Words for Kindergarten, Spelling Toys, Reading Tools for Kids, Science of Reading Manipulatives

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Teacher Created Resources Foam Alphabet Dice (TCR20704)

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hand2mind Reading Rods Building Sight Words, Word Building Activities, Letter Blocks, Sight Words Kindergarten, CVC Words Spelling Toys, Reading Tools for Kids, Science of Reading Manipulatives

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Classic Trouble with Retro Artwork and Pop-o-Matic Popper by Winning Moves Games USA, Designed for Kids, Ages 5+ Perfect For An Indoor Interactive Activity (1176), Extra Wide

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TINOTEEN Button Art Toy for Toddlers,Toddler Activities Crafts Color Matching Early Learning Educational Mosaic Pegboard 50 Buttons and 18 Pictures

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5) Best Toys to Work on Hand Dexterity and Finger Control

Hand dexterity and in-hand  manipulation skills are important for fine motor development.  The small muscles of the hand need to be able to move objects within the palm and fingertips.  These toys and games are also great learning tools.  They work on cognitive skills such as problem solving, strategy, and visual perceptual skills. 

RAINBOW TOYFROG Chain Link Math Manipulatives - 240 C-Clip Chain Links & 20 Ice Cream Cards for Counting & Linking Math Games - Learning Resources for Kindergarten Sensory Bin

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LotFancy Card Games for Kids, 6 Decks, Go Fish, Old Maid, Crazy Eights, Memory Match, Slap Jack, Animal Playing Cards, Easter Basket Stuffers, Stocking Stuffers

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Mattel Games ​UNO Junior Card Game for Kids with Simple Rules, Levels of Play and Animal Matching for 2-4 Players

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LCR® Left Center Right™ Dice Game - Blue Tin

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Lite Brite Ultimate Value Retro Toy, 12 Seasonal Templates, Peg Pouch, Amazon Exclusive, Light up Creative Activity Toy, Educational Stem, Gift for Girls and Boys, Ages 4+

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SHASHIBO Shape Shifting Box - Award-Winning, Patented Fidget Cube w/ 36 Rare Earth Magnets - Transforms Into Over 70 Shapes, Download Fun in Motion Toys Mobile App (Artist Series - Mystic Ocean)

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CDDLR 592Pcs Jigsaw Puzzle Mix Colour Mushroom Nails Pegboard Educational Building Bricks Creative DIY Peg Puzzle Toys 3D Games Birthday Christmas Party Gift for Kids Children Age Over 3 Years Old

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Wooden Geoboard with Rubber Bands Graphical Math Pattern Blocks Geo Board - Montessori Educational Toy for Kids with Pattern Cards and Rubber Bands Create Figures Shape STEM Puzzle Matrix Brain Teaser

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Classic Mancala - Fun Board Game for Friends and Family - Timeless Strategy Game

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B. toys – Pop Arty! 500 Pcs- Jewlery Making Kit- Creative Pop Snap Bead Set for Kids –DIY Craft Jewelry Making Kit –Necklaces, Rings, Bracelets – 4 Years +

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LEARNING ADVANTAGE Transportation Linking Blocks - Set of 36 - Ages 18m+ - Pop Beads for Toddlers - Early Sensory and Fine Motor Toy

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1900Pcs 7 Colors Round Letter Beads 4×7mm Acrylic Alphabet Beads with 1 Roll Elastic String for Bracelet Necklace Jewelry Making Supplies

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Coogam Wooden Sorting Stacking Montessori Toys, Shape Color Recognition Blocks Matching Puzzle, Fine Motor Skill Educational Preschool Learning Board Game Gift for Kids

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Point Games Therapy Games for Kids, Tricky Fingers Trio, Puzzle Games, Sensory Learning Game, Fun for Entire Family, Ages 4+

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6) Best Sensory Toys for Sensory Fine Motor Skill Development

Sensory motor development is important for kids.  Fine motor skills can be incorporated into tactile sensory play.  

It’s important to develop tactile discrimination skills and stereognosis in the hands (telling apart textures, shapes and objects by feeling and not looking.)  Additionally, kids need to feel different textures in their hands to enhance the sensory processing abilities within the palm and fingers. 

KIDS PREFERRED Carter's Happy Barnyard Plush Activity Set, Multicolored

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TickiT Touch & Match Board - Toddler Sensory Exploration - Special Educational Needs - Tactile Board - Touch & Feel

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Special Supplies Matching Game Sensory Discs, 10 Sets, Tactile Stimulation for Kids, Supports Autistic and Processing Challenges, Calming and Stimulating Early Learning Play, Eye Mask Included

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Guidecraft 3D Feel & Find Icons, Shape and Tile Matching Toy for Kids, Learning & Educational Toys

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JoyCat Alphabet Mystery Box for Kids 26 PCS Letters Sorting Matching Game Activities Letter Sounds Fine Motor Learning Toys for Preschool Kindergarten Classroom Gift for 3+ Years Kids Toddlers

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Educational Insights Sensory Squares, Textured Beanbags Squares, Toddler Sensory Toys, Preschool Kindergarten Classroom Must Haves, Set of 20 Beanbags, Ages 3+

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Educational Insights Shapes Beanbags, Learn Shapes, Toddler Learning Toy, Preschool Classroom Must Haves, Set of 10 Bean Bags, Ages 3+

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Educational Insights Playfoam Shape & Learn Numbers Set, Flash Card Set, Preschool Kindergarten Classroom Essentials, Ages 3+

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Play-Doh Modeling Compound 10-Pack Case of Colors, Non-Toxic, Assorted, 2 oz. Cans, Multicolor, Ages 2 and Up (Amazon Exclusive)

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Kinetic Sand, Amazon Exclusive Treasure Hunt Playset with 14 Surprise Reveals and 1.62lbs Rare Shimmer Gold Play Sand, Sensory Toys for Kids Ages 3 and up

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INNER-ACTIVE Play Putty Therapy Putty for Kids with Charms Deep Blue Sea Theraputty Soft Resistance, Increase Fine Motor Skills and Finger Strength, Physical and Occupational Therapy Toy

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Goody Putty Emojis Bouncing Fidget Putty Set for Boys and Girls

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6 Pack Squishy Stress Balls Fidget Toys,Stress Relief Toy for Adults, Squeeze Ball, Pop Fidget Ball, Mesh Ball, Color Change Ball, Help to Relax, Decompress and Focus, 2.4 inches

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Mini Slow Rising Stress Ball 24 Pack - Stocking Stuffers for Kids, Squishy Ball for Anxiety Stress Relief, Hand Therapy Sensory Toy, Pull Stretch Fidget Toys for Kids Adults, Fidgets for Classroom

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I hope this blog post is helpful for you.  Let your kids have fun and make play a part of daily routines.  Grab these toys or add them to your Amazon Wish List!  Share this list with others who would appreciate the extra guidance from an occupational therapist to find the best fine motor toys and games for kids!

Related content:

• Best Educational Toys and Games for Kids – These toys and games for kids are my favorite ways to work on cognitive skills.  It organizes toys and games into three categories 1) visual perception, strategy and problem solving 2) auditory, visual memory, and hand eye coordination, and 3) gross motor, hand eye coordination, and visual motor skills.
• Art Projects and Crafts to Enhance Learning – Work on open-ended play through arts and crafts.  Foster creativity, independence and mindfulness during play!
• Skill Building Outdoor Games for Kids – Improve gross motor skills using these games and toys during recess or backyard play.  
• Holiday Shopping Guide 2023 – Make sure you’re buying gifts that benefit development!

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The post 93 Best Toys for Fine Motor Skills – 6 OT Skill Areas (2024) appeared first on DEVELOP LEARN GROW.

These are the best educational toys and games picked by a pediatric occupational therapist.  They work on visual perceptual skills, auditory skills. critical thinking, fine motor skills, and more. Help your kiddo develop many important skills through play based learning.

A co-worker once noted, “Your kids must get the best gifts!  I’m sure you always find the coolest toys for them.” 

First of all, she saw me use fun and unique toys with my students during my occupational therapy sessions. Secondly, she knew my passion for child development and my emphasis on play and fun as the basis for learning!

What she also didn’t know was that my husband and I focused on quality over quantity when it came to getting gifts for our children.  They didn’t have a ton of toys.  But they had what they each of them needed!  They had quality toys and games that captured their interest AND helped with their development.  

The most rewarding part of having these great educational toys for my kids… when they would outgrow something, they would say, “Here, mom, you can have this toy for your work kids! They can play with it now!”

Play is a great way to improve fine motor skills, gross motor skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills needed for learning.  But it’s hard to pick the best toys with so many options out there.

Choosing the Best Educational Toys and Games for Kids

Teachers and parents frequently ask me for tips on what to buy for the classroom or for home.  I love sharing ideas. Especially because there are so many options out there, it’s easy to lose focus on what to buy.

My biggest tip to any teacher or parent: avoid screens and avoid toys that do the work for the kiddo!  Keep it simple.  Find toys and games that are fun but also address skill areas.

When I chose toys for each of my own kiddos, I obviously considered what they each liked but I also made sure that some needs were being addressed through the right toy. 

Think whether you want to focus more on auditory skills, visual skills, gross motor skills or problem solving skills.  If you want to increase focus and concentration, look for a board game that would interest your kids. 

Just make sure that play-based learning is your priority.  Kids learn best when playing! 

Occupational Therapist’s Best Toy and Games

The ages listed below with each toy and game are just recommendations.  I’ve known some young children around age 4 have success with games such as Spot It which is recommended for 7 year-olds.  

I’m sharing my favorite educational toys and games in three different categories in this post: 1) Best Learning Toys and Games to Improve Visual Perception, Strategy, and Cognitive Skills, 2) Toys and Games to Improve Auditory, Visual Memory and Hand-Eye Coordination, and 3) Toys and Games for Gross Motor Skills, Hand-Eye Coordination and Visual Motor Skills.

Visual perception and strategy games are my favorite educational toys to build executive function skills and problem solving.  Auditory skills are lacking in many kids!  Auditory and visual skills are so important in cognitive development.  Eye-hand coordination is needed to perform writing and self-help tasks.  Finally, we often forget that motor skills are the foundation of how kids’ bodies need to learn!

Kids need the movement breaks! (Check out 25 Brain Breaks for Kids and Best Brain Break Exercise Series – both have free printables.)

[Amazon affiliate links are used below using Amazon Product Advertising API.

See below for more information.] 

Best Learning Toys and Games to Improve Visual Perception, Strategy and Cognitive Skills

Visual perception is a very important skill needed for reading and writing for kids of all ages.  Visual perception develops in babies and continues to refine and develop in older kids.  (Check out 42 Easy Visual Perceptual Activities for more information and ideas.)  

These are the best educational toys to support cognitive skills at various ages and stages.  See occupational therapy reviews and feedback below this table.

Photo	Title	Buy
	MindWare Imagination Patterns- Creative, Magnetic Play with Patterned Shapes!	Check Price
	Hasbro Gaming Perfection Game for Preschoolers and Kids Ages 5 and Up, Board Games for 1 or More Players	Check Price
	The Multi-Matrix Therapeutic Game Developmental Blocks with 50 Smart Cubes	Check Price
	Mattel Games Blokus XL Board Games, Brain Games for 2 to 4 Players	Check Price
	IQ BUILDER | STEM Learning Toys | Creative Construction Engineering | Fun Educational Building Blocks Boys and Girls Ages 5-10+ Best Toy Gift for Kids	Check Price
	MindWare KEVA Brain Builders Set of 2: Original KEVA Brain Builders and Brain Builders Junior – STEM Building and Classroom Games – 40 Planks & 70 Puzzles	Check Price
	STEM Toys for 3- 6 year old, Design and Drill Toy for Kid, Creative Engineering Building Kits	Check Price
	Pressman PRE-3018-06J Mastermind Strategy Game of Codemaker vs. Codebreaker, 5", Multi-colored	Check Price
	Pressman Mastermind for Kids - Codebreaking Game With Three Levels of Play Multicolor, 5"	Check Price
	ThinkFun Rush Hour Junior Traffic Jam Logic Game and STEM Toy for Boys and Girls Age 5 and Up - Junior Version of the International seller Rush Hour	Check Price
	MindWare Qwirkle Cubes	Check Price
	Marble Genius Marble Run (150 Complete Pieces) Maze Track or Building Toys for Kids Ages 4-8, for Adults, Teens, and Toddlers), Super Set	Check Price
	MindWare Q-BA-Maze 2.0 Mega Stunt Set	Check Price

Reviews from an occupational therapist:

MindWare Imagination Magnets 

This is a perfect toy for building visual perceptual skills in young kids.  It encourages problem-solving skills and independent learning.  Little hands work on fine motor skills as they use the different shapes to build and make designs.

Perfection

A classic game for visual discrimination, fine motor, eye hand coordination, pincer grasp, and speed.  

Multi-Matrix Therapeutic Game Developmental Blocks 

This is one of my favorites! It was created by a developmental optometrist.  I’ve used this very frequently with kids at work.  There are many different ways to play and it addresses several visual skills important for school success!

Blokus XL 

A quick and fun perceptual and thinking game. Work on social skills and turn taking with more than one kiddo.

IQ Builder STEM Learning, Building Set

Creative construction set for younger kids but fun for older kids, too.  Building sets are a great way to work on patience, focus and problem solving.

MindWare Keva Brain Builders, Set of 2

These are cool stem toys and building projects. A child has to create 2-D patterns into 3-D structures which adds another challenge.  There are postural stability requirements and fine motor skills needed for this set, in addition to the cognitive and perceptual demands.

STEM Toy Building Set with Tools

Great for visual perceptual skills, problem solving and motor coordination! Young kids can practice imaginative play after they build and construct!

Mastermind 

A fast simple strategy board game. This is great for critical thinking.

Mastermind for Kids

An easier version of the board game for younger kids.  It works on problem-solving skills.

ThinkFun’s Rush Hour Traffic Jam

This board game is a fun logic game for kids. It really challenges perceptual skills and executive function skills.

Quirkle Cubes

This is a kid and OT favorite!  I’ve used these cubes and this game in so many different ways with kiddos.  It’s great for visual discrimination and visual scanning as well as speed and response time.  Kids love racing me during some versions of the game.  Motor control is required during this game.  

Marble Run

Hand strength and problem solving are required when building this marble run.  After it’s built, the moving marbles are great for visual tracking.

MindWare Q-BA-Maze

This ultimate mega marble building set is a nice challenge for engineers in the making!  Adults can have just as much fun with this building set. No glue or connecting pieces are required.  

Best Educational Toys and Games to Improve Auditory Skills, Visual Memory Skills, and Hand-Eye Coordination

Kids don’t realizing they’re building their brains when they play!  Many kids struggle to listen well – they get so used to seeing things and watching screens.  

The following toys are super helpful to develop auditory skills for learning, improve visual memory and improve motor coordination for the brain.    

Photo	Title	Buy
	Hasbro Gaming Bop It! Electronic Game for Kids Ages 8 & Up	Check Price
	Hasbro Gaming Simon Micro Series Game	Check Price
	Spot It! Classic Card Game (Eco-Blister)| Matching | Fun Kids for Family Night Travel Great Gift Ages 6+ 2-8 Players Avg. Playtime 15 Mins Made by Zygomatic	Check Price
	Spot It! Junior Animals Card Game | Game For Kids | Preschool Age 4+ | 2 to 5 Players | Average Playtime 10 minutes | Made by Zygomatic	Check Price
	MindWare Q-bitz Solo: Orange Game	Check Price
	Yamaha, 61-Key PSR-E273 Portable Keyboard with PA130 Power Adapter, Black	Check Price
	Lexington EK3282 32-Key Mini Electric Digital Portable Keyboard Piano Musical Gift for Kids	Check Price
	Treela Set of 4 Musical Instruments Toy Clarinet, Toy Saxophone, Toy Trumpet and Toy Horn for Beginners 4 Wind and Brass Musical Instruments Combo with over 10 Color Keys Coded for Boys Girls (Silver)	Check Price

Occupational therapy thoughts and reviews:

Bop It

This game is a fun way to work on auditory skills, attention and concentration!  It’s a smaller version of a throw back toy!  It works on bilateral coordination, auditory processing speed, hand-eye coordination, and motor control.

Simon Micro Series Game

This game is great for visual memory, hand-eye coordination, and speed!

Spot It

This is a fast and fun visual scanning game that’s great for kids of all ages.  It improves focus and visual attention and encourages quick reactions.

Spot It Jr Animals

A different version of Spot It that has been adapted for younger kids. This game improves visual skills and concentration as you find the matches quickly.  This card game also improves fine motor skills.

Q-Bitz

This is a great visual perceptual skill building game for older kids.  It works on hand dexterity, speed and supports higher level skills needed for reading and math.  This game requires at least two players, so it’s great for social skills.

Yamaha Keyboard Piano 

A piano for older kids to improve continued brain development.  If you’d like to add movement and gross motor skills, check out the Gigantic Keyboard Playmat – Remember the movie Big?! Get your kiddo moving while also playing music! 

Lexington 32-Key Mini Electric Digital Portable Keyboard Piano 

Playing the piano is great for crossing midline and fine motor coordination. It stimulates auditory skills which helps with reading and following directions.

Set of 4 Musical Instruments 

Encourage bilateral skills, oral sensory skills and auditory skills with these wind and brass musical instruments.  

Fun Toys and Games for Gross Motor Skills, Hand-Eye Coordination and Visual Motor Skills

Kids need movement input in order to support cognitive development and learning.  These games and toys make moving fun.  They address balance, coordination, speed and following directions.

Additional hand-eye coordination games support skills needed for performing daily motor tasks.  

Photo	Title	Buy
	HCM Kinzel HCM55153 55153 Tap It Hightech Action Buzzer 4 Game Modes, Multicoloured	Check Price
	Twister Ultimate: Bigger Mat, More Colored Spots, Family, Kids Party Game Age 6+; Compatible with Alexa (Amazon Exclusive)	Check Price
	Funko Cranium Hullabaloo Pre-School Game for 1-6 Players Ages 3 and Up	Check Price
	Magnetic Dart Board Game – 12pcs – Best Kids Magnetic Darts Boys Toys Gifts Indoor Outdoor Games – Safe Dart Game Set for All Ages 5-12 Year Olds	Check Price
	Triumph Sports 2-in-1 Bag Toss/ Washer Toss Combo - Includes 2 Game Platforms, 6 Toss Bags, 6 Washers, Medium	Check Price
	GoSports Classic Cornhole Set – Includes 8 Bean Bags, Travel Case and Game Rules (Choice of style)	Check Price

Added feedback from Develop Learn Grow:

Tap It 

There are multiple ways to play this fun movement game. It’s a great one to get kids moving.

Twister Ultimate 

Twister Ultimate is compatible with Alexa Smart Speaker.  It works on following directions, balance, and coordination.

Cranium Hullaballo 

This is such a great game, my kids loved it and I still use it for work (16 years later!)  Kids have to follow the directions and it gets them moving. 

Magnetic Dart Board 

This is a fun and safe game – we had ours hanging up for years. It’s great for hand-eye coordination and visual tracking.

Bean Bag and Washer Toss 

Great for coordination and visual-motor integration skills.

Classic Corn Hole 

A simple game to work on visual-motor skills and coordination.

More Cool Games, Helpful Activities, and Great Toys for Kids

In addition to the games and toys listed, be sure to add fun songs to your play activities.  Listening to music increases engagement.  Different speeds of music can increase or decrease motor movements in kids as they play games.

Listening to books and podcasts is also great for auditory stimulation. Sign up for an Audible Account.

Also, be sure to incorporate pretend play and open-ended play elements.  Pretend play and imaginative play should not stop in preschool.  Older students need to become independent thinkers.  Support their  cognitive development through creativity and problem solving.   

Work on math during restaurant or store play.  Have kids create stories and act out a play.  Have them dress the part for various learning activities.  

Related blog posts: 

15+ Activities to Improve Visual Skills for Reading – If you’re looking for even more specific toys, activities, and games to improve visual skills. 

Art Projects and Crafts for Kids – Support Reading, Writing and Math – Be sure to support the learning process with arts and crafts.  Creative thinking skills are a great need for young kids right now!   

Skill Building Outdoor Games for Kids at School – Check out this post for outdoor play or recess ideas.  It shares gross motor games, movement play activities and games, and hand-eye coordination games.

Share this post with family or friends who are looking for gift ideas for kids in this age range!

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The post Best Educational Toys and Games for Kids Age 5-10+ (2024) appeared first on DEVELOP LEARN GROW.

The mother of a kindergarten student approached her child’s teacher regarding the available movement activities offered during indoor recess.  

Her son was the type who really needed movement input during recess.  This sensory input helped him to focus and behave better the rest of the day. 

Momma wanted to make sure that her son was still able to get gross motor and movement input if inclement weather caused the class to stay indoors.

This child’s teacher reassured the mom that movement brain breaks were offered throughout the school day.  And during the indoor recess days, she played videos so the kids could dance and move in the classroom.

But momma knew this wasn’t enough to meet her child’s sensory needs!

She knew her son wasn’t able to get the same input from dancing that he could get on playground equipment or from a wide open space. Momma knew he needed more gross motor movements during this important time of the day.  

She researched indoor gross motor activities for her son. Additionally, she read a book written by an occupational therapist.   

When she and I crossed paths, she had many questions and concerns for me (she knew I was a school based occupational therapist and wanted to ask me about what she learned in the book.)  

I had so many thoughts and ideas for her right away, and was excited to give her support. 

This post is to share the activities with you. You know I love another opportunity to help guide more educators and parents who will come across this challenge.

It’s truly so important to help meet the needs of sensory seeking children throughout the learning day. Recess is their time to get the physical and sensory input.

When the weather brings recess indoors, we are forced to be creative so that kids can still play, move, and have fun.

Especially important for the kiddos that NEED the input.

Why Gross Motor Activities Are Important for Kids During Indoor Recess

Recess is so incredibly important for all children.  They experience the outdoors and can move in large open spaces.  

During outdoor recess, young children can obtain heavy work input as they climb on playground equipment.  

Their nervous systems receive important movement input while on swings, balance structures, and slides. They get powerful input when hanging upside down or spinning around.  

Young children’s brains and nervous systems need this gross motor time every day.

Gross motor play nourishes the body with sensory input – the foundation for learning and attending (as shown in the sensory pyramid of learning.)   

Sensory input helps kids develop body awareness, motor coordination, and perceptual skills needed for learning and completing daily tasks.  

More importantly, sensory activities help calm and organize the brain and nervous system so that children attend and behave better.  Physical activity helps with mental health.  

So what happens if you live in an area where indoor recess is common due to a rainy day, cold day, or snowy day?  You offer indoor gross motor activities that give children’s bodies similar sensory input!

Gross Motor Activity Ideas for Indoor Recess

Make sure you choose indoor gross motor skills activities that provide movement (vestibular) input and muscle and joint (proprioceptive) input. 

Children’s brains pay attention better when they have opportunities to use more parts of their bodies and larger muscle groups.  

The sensory input provided to the muscles and joints gives calming and organizing information to the brain. 

The following gross motor indoor recess activities are grouped into several different categories.

Scooter Indoor Recess Activities

Scooters are one of my favorite indoor recess games.  Borrow scooters from a PT, your physical education department, or a co-worker for some excellent heavy work input.  

Children can play matching games as they move themselves back and forth on the scooter.  A fun game which also provides heavy work input is using the hula hoops; kids take turns pulling each other either on their stomachs or in a balanced sitting position.  

• Sit on Scooter, Propel with Feet
• Prone (on Belly) on Scooters Pulling with the Arms (Feet in the Air)
• Use Hula Hoops to Make a Train
• On Belly, Spin Around in a Circle Using Arms 
• Follow a Path or Pattern

Indoor Spotter Jumping Activities 

Floor spotters are a great way to offer deep pressure and movement input for elementary kids.  Set them up as part of an obstacle course or just in an area by itself. 

• Jump with 2 Feet Together on Each Spotter
• Hop with Right Foot on Each Target 
• Hop with Left Foot on Each Target
• Frog Jump to Each One (Low Squat Jump)
• Leap Pad
• Hopscotch 

Paper Plate Activities for Balancing and Heavy Work

Paper plates are another great way to provide sensory input. Each student can use two paper plates, one for each foot to slide down a hall or around a large safe space.  Use four paper plates for the hands and feet for bear crawls to a target and back. 

For the inchworm, kids slide their arms first and then slide their legs up to the arms like an inchworm. Plank jumping jacks don’t require moving across the floor.  

• Ice Skating 
• Bear Crawls
• Inchworm
• Plank Jumping Jacks

Gross Motor Hallway Games and Activities

Create or use long open spaces in the hallway for gross motor and movement activities.  Have students complete these by choice and preference or make it into a game.  Have kids play follow the leader using any or all of the following gross motor movements.

• Scavenger Hunt
• Gallop
• Skip
• Log Rolls
• Somersaults
• Backward Rolls 

Gymnastics Movements for Indoor Recess

You will definitely have years when some elementary students like to practice their gymnastics moves!  The upside down movements or the orbital movements are so good for the vestibular system. 

• Backbends
• Back Walkovers
• Handstands
• Cartwheels
• Handsprings

Indoor Gross Motor Games and Activities Using Floor Tape

Place tape (painter’s tape works well) on the floor in different patterns listed below.  Create rule cards or have students come up with their own rules for each pattern.  Or they can try to follow a leader’s pattern.   

• Ladder
• Dots
• Squares
• Hop Scotch
• Balance Beam Lines

Heavy Work Activities and Racing Active Games 

For those students who have excess energy, these proprioceptive games are perfect.  Kids really need to exert their muscles when performing these gross motor activities.

• Tug-of-war 
• Pushing a Peer in a Box or Bin
• Pulling Another Student on a Blanket on Their Stomach
• Pushing a Peer on a Chair with Tennis Ball Covers 
• Pulling a Peer on an Upside Down Carpet Square using a Hoop
• Crab Walk Races
• Bear Walk Races
• Wheelbarrow Races

Shuttle Races

Set up activities to work on hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills during indoor recess.  Place one set of objects (bean bags) on one end of the hall or room and the other target (bucket) on the other side. 

A small group of students can divide up and have team relay races.  Alternatively, kids can go for time or race one other peer.  Use a scooter or hoppity ball in place of the running.

• Bean Bags to a Target
• Rings on a Cone
• Stacking Cones or Cups
• Complete Puzzles
• Balls in a Cup or Can

Jump Rope Activities for Indoor Recess

There are multiple games that can be played and made up using jump ropes.  It can be set up as a station in the back or front of the room if space permits.  Jump ropes are also a great option to add to an obstacle course or to use them for balancing games.

• Single Jumping
• Double Jump
• Step Over
• Limbo

Gross Motor Activities Using Balloons During Indoor Recess

Balloons or a cheap way to provide extra movement input for kids. Tapping the balloon in the air above the head is a perfect way to help improve postural muscles in the upper back shoulders and neck.  Additionally, the position of the head provides unique input for the vestibular system.  

• Volleyball
• Balloon Taps in the Air
• Tennis
• Balloon Wall Taps

Indoor Recess Classic Game

Use your entire class or divide into small groups for indoor games.  Classic group games are a fun way to add physical activity and to work on listening skills and social skills.  Be sure to add movements such as spinning, bending forward, backward, etc to give the head extra vestibular input.  

• Simon Says
• Red Light, Green Light
• Musical Chairs
• Mother (Teacher) May I?
• Freeze Dance

Obstacle Courses for Indoor Gross Motor Input

Choose some of the previous activities listed to make an obstacle course.  Have students create their own (with your supervision and approval.)  Add elements for stepping over (bins, spotters, ropes) or climbing under (table, chair, blanket) or moving around.   

Create mobile movement mats (like a yoga mat with a hopscotch pattern drawn on it.)  Add scooters, tape, hop balls, etc to various parts of the obstacle course.  

• Jump Rope Paths
• Bins
• Spotters
• Tables
• Blankets
• Chairs
• Yoga Mat with Hopscotch 

Additional Resources and Ideas for Indoor Gross Motor Activities 

Try games like sports charades, movement board games, or movement dice games.  For the dice games, list 6 or 12 movement exercises; kids roll a die or dice and perform the corresponding exercise.  

Check out 40 Core Exercises for Kids for great ideas that target improving core strength.  So many kids lack core strength.  These exercises are quick and easy to add to daily routines.  This post has a free printable at the end.

For more proprioceptive exercises for your students, check out these 25 Proprioceptive Brain Breaks to Increase Attention & Focus.  This type of sensory input is so powerful for the nervous system.  A free printable is also available on this post.

If you’d like more easy movement ideas to embed throughout your day, check out 30 Great Movement Activities to Enhance Learning.  This post shows ways to add the movement activities in your classroom or learning space.  

Tips for Your Indoor Recess Gross Motor Activities

I’m sure you’ll have a few barriers when trying some of the activities shared in this post.  Please don’t let them stop you!  

Your kids need movement during the day.  Recess is a great opportunity for this, even if inclement weather brings it indoors.

Space is typically the biggest concern for indoor gross motor activities.  

Start by checking your building schedule to see if there are any large open spaces available during your scheduled recess time.

If not, hallways are a great way for kids to get movement and gross motor activities while indoors.  But check to make sure there are no neighboring classes trying to learn. 

Look into using a peer buddy system.  Check with your administrators and your building schedules for free time and have responsible older students partner up with younger kids to set up, guide and lead the activities.  (Under adult supervision.) 

Talk to your parent associations and utilize parent or community volunteers.  I know the parent who brought this concern to my attention would have gladly volunteered her time to make sure her son got the input that he needs every day! 

Finally, have students complete all activities under supervision and ensure safety is the top priority for your students.  Develop Learn Grow’s disclaimer states that you are fully responsible for your actions and the results of your actions.  Click the link for more information.  I love sharing my OT activities and ideas, but I am not responsible for when they are actually carried out.  

Related Posts

How to Address Behavior Problems at School – This post gives tips on dealing with behavior challenges.  One of the important points made in this post is making sure that kids who get in trouble are not punished by withholding recess.  They’re typically the ones that NEED it so they can behave better!

Skill Building Outdoor Games for Kids – This blog post shares outdoor movement games as well as activities that support visual motor skills for the classroom. Find simple DIY activities or games for your Amazon Wish List.

Best Brain Break Exercises – This post contains a free printable with brain gym exercises listed as part of the exercise sequence.  It’s a quick sequence that can be completed in under two minutes.  Perfect for students in between lessons.  

Articles Linked Throughout the Post

Sensory Pyramid of Learning

40 Core Exercises for Kids

25 Proprioceptive Brain Breaks to Increase Attention & Focus

30 Great Movement Activities to Enhance Learning

Interested in a Classroom Exercise Program?

I’ve had great feedback on the 8-week classroom exercise program.  It includes core exercises, crossing midline, sensory activities for learning, visual activities, hand dexterity, and more!

It shares a series of exercises to practice every day for 8 weeks.

Use these specific occupational therapy exercises to improve:

Attention… focus… core stability… crossing midline… sensory processing… visual development… & more… Click for more info!

The post 61 Fun Gross Motor Activities for Elementary Indoor Recess appeared first on DEVELOP LEARN GROW.

I use this activity for kids of all ages because it can be adapted in many ways.

This project addresses visual motor integration skills, visual perception, following directions and problem solving. 

Kids get an opportunity to work on shoulder stability, fine motor coordination and precision, bilateral coordination, and grading of movements. 

Furthermore, this is a fun way to enhance creativity, uniqueness and individuality.

I enjoy watching what young children create!

Most importantly, there are mental health benefits to crafting.   This is especially needed for our kids and adults from the never-ending pressures around us.

It can serve as a therapeutic, mindful, and relaxing brain break!

Supplies You Need for the Puffy Snowman Craft

I’ll explain the supplies needed for this easy craft and I’ll also list them below.  The puffy paint works best on blue or black construction paper or any shade of blue cardstock paper.  I offer additional colors for creativity and individualization!  

Kids can draw circles on the paper for the snowman shape outline (white chalk works well.)  Or, they can cut out three different sized circles to use as a guide when spreading the homemade puffy paint.

The puffy paint is made with Elmer’s white glue and foaming shaving cream.  [Use a sensitive skin brand or an unscented if your kids are sensitive to smells.]  

I usually mix small batches in small plastic containers with lids.  (Then, I can cover the mixture and reuse it later in the day if needed.)  Or it can be placed on a paper plate for quick use.  

A variety of tools can be used to mix the puffy paint and spread it to make the snowman craft. I find that a plastic spoon tends to be the easiest. 

Supplies needed for the Puffy Paint Snowman Craft:

Snowman supplies:

• Plain paper for the background (construction, oak tag, or cardstock paper)
• White Elmer’s glue
• White shaving cream
• Small old paint brush, spoon, popsicle stick, or Q-tip
• Chalk OR white paper and scissors (both optional)

Additional decorations for the background and snowman details, as desired:

• Construction paper scraps
• ​Googly eyes
• Small buttons
• Beads
• Orange construction paper for carrot nose
• Pom-poms
• Pipe cleaners
• White snowflakes
• Fabric scraps (for a scarf or top hat)
• Markers or paper scraps (for the limbs)

How to Make a Puffy Paint Snowman

First, choose the background paper and write your name on the back.  Make or choose decorations for the snowman parts (paper, buttons, etc.) Cut out a top hat, limbs, scarf, carrot nose, etc if desired.

1. Make a snowman shapeoutline if needed. Either draw circles with white chalk or cut them out of white paper.
   • When drawing circles, it’s easier starting with the large circle at the bottom. Objects or patterns can be used for tracing if needed. 
   • OR: Cut three circles (small, medium, large) and glue onto the background for the snowman outline.  If needed, trace circles onto white paper or use a snowman template before cutting.
   • Older students can make the puffy snowman craft without an outline. 
2. Mix the puffy paint: 1/2 Elmer’s white glue and 1/2 foaming shaving cream.  You’ll mix equal parts of white glue with equal parts of shaving cream.
3. Spread a thick layer of the shaving cream puffy paint mixture to build the snowman (or spread it on the outlines.)
4. Add parts to the face and body to decorate the snowman.

Adding Decorations to the Puffy Paint Snowman

You can keep it very simple when it comes to the decorations for this art project.  Or, you can provide several craft items to encourage more creativity. 

A simple way to decorate would be to use construction paper scraps.

Kids can tear or cut small pieces to add details to the snowman. 

Add desired details such as a hat, eyes, nose, and mouth.  A scarf, arms and buttons can be added to the body.

I’ve had some students add a vest or other clothing and even hair!

Let kids create their own snowman with whatever craft supplies you have available.

For added fine motor strengthening, I have a snowflake paper punch. This also adds another perceptual challenge when gluing the snowflake pieces around the snowman. 

Pin this on Pinterest so it’s easy for others to find!

More Arts & Crafts and Winter Activities for Kids

For toddlers and young preschoolers, the same shaving cream puffy paint mixture can be used to make a melted snowman craft.  Simply have the child spread the mixture at the bottom of a paper and then add the snowman parts.  

For other winter crafts, check out Easy Educational Art Projects for Kids for more fine motor and craft ideas for kids when stuck indoors!  

The skills used for the art projects and crafts support skills needed for school and learning!

And… they have great mental health benefits as well!

The Simple Fine Motor Activity using Construction Paper is a really easy skill building activity… make a snowman or a winter collage!

For a calming craft, check out Fun Glitter Art – An Oral Sensory Craft with Added Sparkle.

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