DIY Games to Encourage Visual Tracking Skills
DIY Games to Encourage Visual Tracking Skills
Visual perceptual skills require the ability to see, organize and interpret visual information. There are many different types of visual perceptual skills that are explained in detail here. Visual tracking is one type of visual perceptual skills. Visual tracking is the ability to control the eye movements using the oculomotor system (vision and eye muscles working together). There are two types of visual tracking: maintaining your focus on a moving object and switching your focus between two objects.
Visual tracking is necessary to follow an object moving in space and to follow stationary objects. It is a key component to fluid reading, coordination tasks, body awareness and postural control. Visual tracking allows you to know what you are looking at and where to look. Children need to practice and learn these skills throughout childhood development. Here is a few fun, do it yourself (DIY) games to encourage visual tracking skills:
- Balloon Volleyball – blow up a balloon and start hitting it back and forth to each other. This game encourages visual focus, visual-spatial skills, and visual motor skills. You can use your hands or add in physical activity with these Activity Balloon Bats. If you need to make it easier to start, try this giant balloon volleyball game.
- Kid Balloon Boxing – this activity requires visual tracking and eye-hand coordination at the same time.
- Pool Noodle Visual Tracking Ring – super cheap and super easy.
- Visual Tube – use a cardboard tube, colored tape, and a balloon to create this game.
- I Spy Movement Breaks – Make a sensory bottle with hidden exercise cards. The children have to visually track the each of the exercise cards and complete the activity.
Looking for a quick, no prep visual tracking activity? Check out Ready, Set, Scan.
This digital download includes 12 visual scanning and discrimination activities. How fast can you scan, find and mark each item? There are 12 challenges in all with different themes including: shapes, animals, fruit, party, travel and babies. Just print and start the search. Follow the directions: start a timer, scan for one object at a time, mark each object and stop the timer. Record your time in the box provided. Dot markers work great for marking the item. Use a different color dot marker for each item. FIND OUT MORE.