Activities to Develop Your Toddler's Hand-Eye Coordination

Hand-eye coordination is the ability to connect your eye and hand movements. From the moment he was a baby, your toddler has been working on this very important skill. When your child is older, he will need good hand-eye coordination for writing, tying his shoes, and many other activities. For now, there are some things you can do to develop your toddler's hand-eye coordination. Here are some easy activities you can do at home with your toddler.

Puzzles

Around the age of 18 months you can start doing puzzles with your toddler. Start off with chunky board puzzles rather than the interlocking kind, which are more suited towards about the ages of 3 and up. Puzzles were a big source of frustration for my daughter at first…she just couldn't get the pieces to fit inside the holes like she wanted them to. I showed her how to move them around until they fit, and now she can do many puzzles on her own.

Shape sorter

Shape sorters are similar to puzzles in that your child is learning to manipulate objects with his hand until they fit into the space his eyes are seeing. Shape sorters are an interesting activity for even the youngest of toddlers, though it may be awhile before they can actually fit a shape into its corresponding hole. For a younger toddler, you can first practice determining which shape goes where. You can also guide your child's hand as you fit the shapes in.

Drawing and coloring

Drawing is an excellent way to develop hand-eye coordination. With an older toddler (around 2 or 2 and a half) you can start having her try to copy things you draw. I practice drawing circles with my daughter. Also experiment with different mediums…try painting, pencils, crayons, chalk, and other writing utensils. When coloring a picture, start teaching your toddler to try to color within the lines. It will be hard for your child just yet, but around 2 or 2 and a half years old she may move from scribbling all over the page to deliberate scribbling within a certain part of the picture.

Balls

Playing ball is another great way to develop good hand-eye coordination, and is easy enough that you can start from when your child is a baby. Rolling a ball back and forth helps your toddler with learning how to direct the ball; he's learning how to use his hands to make the ball go where his eyes are looking. An older toddler can work on catching a ball that you throw to him, as well as throwing the ball to you. Try this idea for ball practice: have 2 or 3 people stand around your toddler, within catching distance. One by one, call his name and hold out your hands for him to throw the ball to you.

Play dough

Play dough is a great way to develop your child's motor skills as well as hand-eye coordination. Practice making play dough balls with your toddler, using shape-cutters, and rolling out long play dough "snakes". For an older toddler who is learning her shapes, you can try making shapes together.

Remember, you can try some or all of these to help develop your toddler's hand-eye coordination, but don't be discouraged or worried if your child has trouble, say, drawing a circle or catching a ball. Children develop at different paces. Of course, if you have any concerns consult your child's pediatrician.