The first time we begin to learn eye-hand coordination is when we are infants, with the largest amount of development happening when we are children. However, we can always improve our eye-hand coordination and it is extremely important to maintain it as we age. After all, it is essential in our daily life with things, such as driving or chopping food.
A recent study has found that those who play video games for 20 minutes a day have improved eye-hand coordination. College students that played the games, using a special controller, for 20 minutes a day, were better at shooting in real life than those that hadn’t played the video games.
Eye-Hand Coordination Is Extremely Useful
Fast reaction times require improved eye-hand coordination, such as when we are driving or playing with children. It can also increase our productivity at work and improve our leisure activities, such as playing computer games and sports.
Following are a few activities that you can practice that will allow you to improve your eye-hand coordination.
- Play video games – Either online or using a console like a Wii, playing video games that require a sensitive touch and precise timing has been shown to improve accuracy skills.
- Do some coloring ¬– Grab some markers or crayons and a coloring book and color away. Our hands are beginning to lose their fine motor coordination abilities now that more and more of us use a keyboard to write. Coloring will help to preserve those fine motor skills.
- Play a racquet sport – Any sport involving a racquet and ball will help to improve your eye-hand coordination, in addition to it being a great aerobic workout! You have to react quickly to your opponent’s moves and quickly judge where they will hit the ball.
- Take up juggling – Start juggling two balls from hand to hand, then gradually introduce a third (and even a fourth if you can manage it). It will improve both coordination and focus.
- Do a jigsaw puzzle – Useful for improving both eye-hand coordination and reasoning, a jigsaw puzzle is a fun way to hone these skills, particularly if it is a 3D puzzle.
- Play catch – A great activity that can help improve both your and your child’s hand-eye accuracy, a simple game of catch using a tennis ball or other type of small ball is a great way of sharpening your skills while spending time with your kids.
- Create something – Doing crafts such as model building and knitting can be creative ways of improving your eye-hand coordination, and you’ll have something to show for it to boot!
Make Sure You Maintain Your Eye-Hand Coordination!
A we age we can sometimes lose the eye-hand coordination that we have, leaving us vulnerable to accidents that otherwise would be avoided. If we try to maintain the eye-hand coordination that we have, we can ensure that we keep ourselves from getting in accidents and stay healthier overall. The more improvement we have with our eye-hand coordination, the better!
For Wellness,
Dr. Shannan McCormick