Games to Develop Perceptual Motor Skills

Visual Games

• Use visual games like memory or spot-the-difference games. Purchase a game of memory from a retail store or make your own memory cards by printing random objects, two of each, on small slips of paper. Place the cards face down on a table and have one player flip over two cards. If the cards match, the player keeps the pair and draws again. If they do not match, the play moves to the next player. The player who has the most pairs wins the game. For a game of spot the differences, print two pictures that look the same but have minor differences. Players must find the differences in the pictures.

Movement Games

• Get players active with a few movement games like ̶0;Simon Says̶1; or ̶0;Freeze Tag.̶1; Ask one person to call out the ̶0;Simon Says̶1; commands. If he says a command without saying ̶0;Simon Says̶1; first and a player does the command, he is out of the game. The last player standing wins the game. In a game of ̶0;Freeze Tag,̶1; select someone to be ̶0;it.̶1; If the ̶0;it̶1; player tags another player, she must freeze in place. The last player tagged by the ̶0;it̶1; player wins the game and gets to be ̶0;it̶1; for the next game.

Circle Games

• Play circle games using balls and balloons to promote perceptual motor skills. Have everyone stand in a circle and bump a volleyball to one another. Have them count how many times they pass the ball. When the ball hits the ground, they must stop counting. Each time they play, have them try to beat their high score. Another idea is to toss inflated balloons into the circle. Have the players hit the balloons in the air, preventing them from hitting the ground. Keep adding balloons to the circle to see how many balloons the players can hit in the air before one hits the ground.

Fine Motor Games

• Activities that work fine motor skills include playing with building blocks and crafts. Create a game by giving each player a bag of building blocks. See who can build the tallest and strongest tower out of blocks. Awarding small prizes to the winners will encourage participation. Another idea is to give players a certain number of craft supplies. For example, give each player a bag with a piece of aluminum foil, plastic wrap, yarn, paint pens, glue, paper clips and chenille stems. They must use their imagination to make a craft using only the supplies provided. Award prizes for the best, most creative, funniest and silliest projects.