Improving Kids’ Hand-Eye Coordination through Eyewear, Educational Toys, and More
Although typically associated with athletic activities, hand-eye coordination is a complex cognitive ability essential to daily tasks such as writing, grasping objects, and wearing clothing. As it involves seamlessly processing visual input with motor control, hand-eye coordination is among the most crucial skills that must be developed during early childhood. In fact, research shows that improved hand-eye coordination can also be associated with literary and academic performance.
Interestingly, research published in the journal Science found that hand-eye coordination starts developing in the womb. The touch and sight circuits can be triggered in the embryonic stage, which could explain why some people are genetically predisposed to be better at sports.
Nonetheless, health and environmental factors can still help accelerate the rate at which kids develop their hand-eye coordination. Below are some strategies you can consider incorporating into your child’s growth and development to improve this specific skill.
Prescription eyewear
A survey shows that a quarter of children in the UK don’t get regular eye examinations, which otherwise hinders the ability to detect vision impairments, such as myopia or nearsightedness, that may affect the visual performance needed for hand-eye coordination. Additionally, comprehensive eye exams can help optometrists prescribe the correct type of eyewear for treating and managing poor hand-eye coordination.
If eye tests reveal that the child has vision problems like refractive errors, wearing prescription glasses can correct their vision and help them control their eye muscles properly for tasks like reading, writing, and playing sports. Fortunately, the eyewear brand Ray-Ban has a wide range of high-quality frames in styles appropriate for all ages, like the browline Clubmaster and geometric Hexagonal Optics. These glasses are also lightweight, encouraging kids to wear them daily.
Vision therapy
Besides prescription eyewear, optometrists may also introduce vision therapy to correct vision problems and, by extension, improve hand-eye coordination. While the frequency and duration of the program may vary based on your child’s eye condition, vision therapy typically involves a set of diagnostic tests, training procedures, exercises, and corrective tools.
For example, eye exercises like rotational viewing and near and distant viewing can help the eyes move properly across directions and distances without straining them. Meanwhile, tools like occlusion patches, lenses, and prisms can help kids distinguish fine details for visual acuity and work out precise eye movements for visual tracking.
Outdoor activities
Besides solely focusing on the visual aspects of hand-eye coordination, outdoor activities are also a great way to enhance both motor and visual skills simultaneously. Such activities can include sports like racquetball and a game of catch, which enhance kids’ ability to perceive objects from different angles and distances and quickly respond to the stimuli through action.
Additionally, new research links the amount of time spent outdoors to overall eye health. Spending 76 extra minutes outside every day can reduce the risk of myopia by up to 50%, thus helping kids prevent or delay the progression of eye conditions while exercising their coordination skills.
Educational toys
Lastly, an effective way to train the brain to produce and control hand and eye movements properly is through toys and games. Previously, a post about the benefits of educational toys mentioned motor skill development, with hand-eye coordination as an example, by strengthening the different muscle groups. Toys that encourage this development include Fiesta Crafts’ huge selection of craft kits, magnetic blocks, and threading and crocheting kits.
In the process of developing skills related to hand-eye coordination — such as visual discrimination, visual tracking, and gross and fine motor skills — these toys can also promote other essential growth and development areas during childhood, ranging from creativity and problem-solving to communication and social interaction. Check out the Fiesta Crafts’ website to learn more about our offerings.