7 Tips to Improve Hand-Eye Coordination and Combat Aging
If you want to learn how to improve eye-hand coordination, you are tuning a fine motor skill that develops shortly after birth. It is an important task regardless of your age. Children are taught how to improve eye-hand coordination as early as 4 months old through exploring or toys and games. Practicing this skill not only helps with daily activities or with a specific athletic sport you are trying to improve upon but it can also help delay the aging process.
1. Colour
Grab some colouring books and crayons and colour away. While this may bring you back to childhood, it will also improve hand-eye coordination. It is a creative way to control your hands and fingers to do what your eyes coordinate them to do within the confines of the page. Use markers or coloured pencils. Instead of a colouring book, grab a sketch pad and draw your own pictures to colour.
2. Play video games or online games
Video games require hand skills to execute the desired task to play the game, using motor skills with visual perception. Play a game that requires precision timing, a sensitive touch and detail and you will find your hand-eye skill increases. Playing video games may even help surgeons perfect their skill in the operating room.
3. Put together a jigsaw puzzle
This requires picking up specific pieces to analyze which ones fit together, using and improving both hand-eye coordination and reasoning skills. An even more challenging jigsaw puzzle that will improve hand eye coordination is the 3D jigsaw puzzle.
4. Pick up a baseball, wiffleball or softball bat and take aim
It requires hand-eye skill to hit a ball with a bat. Playing catch has the same effect. If you know how to improve eye hand coordination, you can become better at your chosen sport.
5. Play a sport that involves a racquet
Whether it’s tennis, squash, badminton or ping pong, the concept of hitting a ball with the racquet is the same as hitting a ball with a bat… except you also have to factor in your opponent’s moves as well.
6. Try Boxing
If you are afraid of getting hit by your opponent, while this is good motivation to learn hand-eye skill, use boxing bags that move instead. Trying to hit a moving bag will improve hand-eye coordination.
7. Build something or make a craft
Use sticks, blocks or toothpicks to build a model. Try crafts such as crocheting, needlepoint or any craft kit you can find at the store. Mold clay or try your hand at pottery.
Bonus Tip: Don’t ignore your weak hand
Unless you are among an extreme minority, you most likely have a dominant hand and weak hand. If you really want to improve hand-eye coordination (and strengthen your brain to boot) try giving special attention to your weaker hand. One great tip is to try and do everyday tasks on your weak side. If you are right handed, try brushing your teeth or doing up buttons etc. with your left. It isn’t easy, but it sure gets your brain working!