By: Erica Bruno, MS, OTR/L
What are visual motor skills and why are they important?
Visual motor integration refers to the ability to interpret visual information and respond with a motor action. That means the eyes communicate with the brain, which then sends signals to the muscles telling them how to respond. This collection and interpretation of information happens all the time with daily activities, without us even realizing it. For example, you see a ball moving toward you and you automatically respond by moving your hands in a way to catch the ball. Visual motor skills are essential for efficient and coordinated movements within the environment, as well as for a child’s ability to successfully engage in daily activities such as writing, playing, feeding, and much more.
Signs of visual motor dysfunction
Visual motor deficits or difficulties can present in many ways. Children may exhibit difficulty with fine motor, gross motor, or bilateral coordination skills (using both sides of the body together). Participating in sports may be particularly difficult due to decreased hand-eye and eye-foot coordination. Children with poor visual motor skills may seem clumsy and have decreased awareness of their body in space, as they struggle to navigate through the environment without bumping into objects or tripping. Activities of daily living may also be an area of difficulty in children with visual motor dysfunction, such as using utensils to pick up food, tying shoelaces, or fastening buttons while getting dressed. In addition, academic areas are likely to be impacted in children who have deficits in visual motor skills. Handwriting, reading, typing, drawing, coloring, and cutting are all tasks that require visual motor skills.
If you notice your child is struggling in any of these areas compared to their same-age peers, consult with an occupational therapist to determine if it is related to your child’s visual motor skills and learn how to help.
Activities to promote visual motor skills at home
- Bubbles
Bubbles are a simple and easy tool to start with to promote visual motor skills in a young child. Blow bubbles for your child to visually track with their eyes and use their finger (or other items such as a ruler/body parts) to pop. Try this activity in different positions and planes to get additional benefits, such as: tall kneel, lying on belly, standing on an uneven surface, or even upside down with their head in between their legs.
- Building Toys
Building with simple blocks, Magna-Tiles, Legos, peg boards, and connectors are all great ways for children to develop visual motor skills through play. Start by allowing your child to explore these toys and build in their own way, then progress to copying specific designs.
- Balloon or ball games
Games involving catching, throwing, hitting, or kicking a ball are a fun way to work on visual motor skills. Start simple by rolling a ball or tapping a balloon back and forth depending on your child’s abilities, then increase to more challenging tasks such as catching and kicking a moving ball or throwing objects to a target.
- Crafts
Crafts are a multisensory way to increase visual motor skills. These activities can incorporate coloring, drawing, painting, cutting, stringing beads, gluing, and so on. Try different mediums as well such as sculpting with clay or Play-doh, finger paint, or drawing in shaving cream.
- Puzzles, matching games, or mazes
Engaging in puzzles, matching games, or mazes will help to strengthen your child’s visual motor skills. Always support your child in feeling successful when participating in visual motor activities and most importantly, make it fun!