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Visual Motor Skills You Need to Know For All Ages!
This episode is all about visual motor - how you coordinate your vision to your movement.
We dive into the different daily tasks that require visual motor skills, what it looks like if your child is struggling with visual motor integration, and of course we give you our favorite visual motor activities to try today!
Don’t forget - our podcast is now on YouTube (see below)!
Links
All Things Sensory Podcast Instagram
Ep 17 Handwriting and Fine Motor Skills
Ep 204 Why is Crawling a Beneficial Milestone
Visual Motor Skills You Need To Know For All Ages!
Visual motor skills, also known as visual motor integration or hand-eye coordination, are a foundational part of a child’s development. These skills help children coordinate what they see with how their bodies move—something they need to succeed in everything from handwriting to sports.
What Are Visual Motor Skills?
Visual motor skills are the ability to coordinate visual information (what we see) with motor output (how we move). In simpler terms, they allow a child to see something and respond to it with a purposeful movement.
Think of these skills as the bridge between the eyes and the hands. Everyday examples include:
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Catching a ball.
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Writing a word.
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Cutting with scissors.
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Pouring juice into a cup.
Why Are Visual Motor Skills Important?
Visual-motor integration plays a role in nearly every aspect of a child’s daily life:
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Handwriting and drawing.
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Playing sports and playground games.
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Self-care tasks like buttoning shirts or brushing teeth.
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Academic tasks like copying from the board.
When a child struggles with visual motor skills, they may have difficulty with:
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Staying within lines when coloring.
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Copying shapes or letters.
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Catching or throwing a ball.
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Building with blocks.
How Do Visual Motor Skills Develop?
Visual-motor integration starts in infancy and grows as your child interacts with their environment. Here’s a quick look at typical development:
0–2 months: Eyes are not well-coordinated. Baby may appear cross-eyed or stare at faces close by.
4–5 months: Eyes start to work together. Baby begins to reach for and grab toys.
8 months: Crawling begins, allowing for greater visual input and body coordination.
12–18 months: Baby can judge distances better. Starts throwing toys and building towers.
2 years+: Self-care skills emerge. Scribbling, stacking, and ball play improve visual motor coordination.
School-age: Visual motor skills are refined through writing, sports, crafts, and games.
Signs Of Visual Motor Challenges By Age
Infancy:
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Not reaching for or grasping toys.
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Not transferring toys between hands.
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Difficulty crawling or asymmetrical crawl.
Toddlers:
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Avoids scribbling or coloring.
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Doesn’t attempt to build with blocks.
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Doesn’t point to familiar objects.
Preschool/Kindergarten:
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Struggles with shape sorters.
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Difficulty catching/kicking a ball.
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Avoids drawing or fine motor play.
Elementary Age:
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Trouble with handwriting or cutting.
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Difficulty tying shoes or buttoning.
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Avoids PE or team games.
If you notice these signs, consider consulting with a pediatric occupational therapist for a full evaluation.
20+ OT-Approved Activities To Improve Visual Motor Skills
These activities are fun, functional, and easy to set up at home or in therapy.
For Babies & Toddlers:
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Tummy time & crawling: Foundational for all motor and visual skills.
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Track toys side to side: Use high-contrast toys.
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Pop bubbles: Build eye-hand timing.
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Roll a ball back and forth.
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Pull-toys or push-toys to encourage movement.
For Preschoolers:
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Shape sorters & stacking blocks.
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Drawing in sensory bins (e.g., rice, salt, or jello powder).
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String large beads or cereal onto yarn.
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Balloon volleyball.
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Hopscotch and obstacle courses.
For School-Age Kids:
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Maze and dot-to-dot activities.
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Paper airplane folding and target tossing.
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Clapping pattern games (add music or metronome).
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Visual memory games like "I Spy".
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Throwing beanbags at targets (bonus points for moving targets!).
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Swing-and-throw activities (toss while on a swing).
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Origami or folding games.
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Grid drawing with reference pictures.
Final Tips For Parents & Professionals
When it comes to helping your child build visual motor skills, the most important thing to remember is to keep it fun. You don’t need to announce that you’re working on “visual motor integration”—just call it a game, an adventure, or a challenge.
Kids learn best through play, especially when they’re engaged and enjoying the activity. As you introduce new tasks, aim for the just-right challenge—something that stretches your child without overwhelming them.
Finally, think holistically. Visual motor activities don’t exist in isolation so look for ways to layer in fine motor tasks, movement, or sensory input to build full-body integration and support your child’s development from multiple angles.
BORING, BUT NECESSARY LEGAL DISCLAIMERS
While we make every effort to share correct information, we are still learning. We will double check all of our facts but realize that medicine is a constantly changing science and art. One doctor / therapist may have a different way of doing things from another. We are simply presenting our views and opinions on how to address common sensory challenges, health related difficulties and what we have found to be beneficial that will be as evidenced based as possible. By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or your children. Consult your child’s pediatrician/ therapist for any medical issues that he or she may be having. This entire disclaimer also applies to any guests or contributors to the podcast. Under no circumstances shall Rachel Harrington, Harkla, Jessica Hill, or any guests or contributors to the podcast, as well as any employees, associates, or affiliates of Harkla, be responsible for damages arising from use of the podcast.
Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We try our best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you.
This podcast should not be used in any legal capacity whatsoever, including but not limited to establishing “standard of care” in a legal sense or as a basis for expert witness testimony. No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of any statements or opinions made on the podcast.
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