Visual motor integration is the child’s ability to interpret visual stimuli and reproduce it using the appropriate motor output.
Visual – motor control is therefore needed for activities which involve precise visual guidance of movement, e.g. Copying from a black board.
The following are fun and simple activities which can aid the development of visual – motor control with your child.
- Simon Says – This enables child to use the whole of their body to copy the leaders body positions.
- The Music Man – Musical copying game, where the child copies whichever, instrument the ‘music man’ pretends to play eg piano, trombone, violin, flute, drum, bagpipes
- Animal walks – first demonstrate, then get child to imitate. Children can take it in turns to demonstrate and copy, an element of competition can be added by having animal races
- Mirror game – where one child has to imitate the other as though they were looking in the mirror. Take it in turns being the ‘reflection’.
- Follow the leader – The children walk along in a line, following the teacher/adult/leader and copying the actions that they do e.g. jumping hopping, star jumps, tiptoes. This game usually works best to music.
- Action videos – any videos which encourage the child to imitate the characters e.g. in action rhymes
- Block models – Set up different block designs and encourage child to re create them e.g. bridge, stairs, robot
- Bead patterns – Copy card patterns using various threading beads.Copy card patterns using various threading beads.
- Drawing - Ask the child to copy vertical, horizontal and angled lines that are the same as pre-drawn ones, progress to sentences/pictures, get them to copy, from a variety media e.g. from reading books to exercise book, from black boards to computer
- Paint a picture of favourite toy – use actual toy to copy from rather than memory.
- Playdough – Copy a large out lined picture using playdough e.g. face.
- Etch a sketch – copy patterns from paper to etch a sketch.
- Construction toys - Construct models following picture instructions.
- Other ideas: Geometrics, demonstrate hand animals e.g. rabbit, croc, bird and get child to copy and create a shadow puppet show, use peg board to create patterns for child to recreate.