Hand-eye coordination is involved in nearly everything you do with your hands—from brushing your teeth and tying your shoelaces to making breakfast and typing on a keyboard. Babies and toddlers use hand-eye coordination to hold and explore toys, feed themselves, and drink from a cup. By preschool age, children need this skill to learn how to write, use scissors, and catch a ball.

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In this article:

• What exactly is hand-eye coordination?
• How does hand-eye coordination develop?
• Activities to improve hand-eye coordination, stage by stage
• Hand-eye coordination challenges

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What exactly is hand-eye coordination?

Hand-eye coordination is the ability to process information received through your eyes to control, guide, and direct your hands to accomplish a task. Children aren’t born with this skill, but they develop it through play and practice. It’s an important motor skill that helps them interact with their environment effectively.

How does hand-eye coordination develop?

Hand-eye coordination in the first 6 months

Hand-eye coordination begins to develop during infancy. Even the seemingly simple act of reaching out to grasp an object requires a lot of coordination between the eyes and hands. Your baby gradually develops and refines this skill by observing and handling toys and other objects around them. They learn how to judge distances and grasp items more accurately. 

But before a baby can even reach out to grasp an object, they have to learn how to coordinate their eyes. In the first few weeks of life, babies can see clearly only within about 8 to 12 inches from them. As their vision gets stronger, they will begin to track moving objects with their eyes. Visual tracking is an important precursor to hand-eye coordination.

At birth, your baby also has very little control over their hands and arms. If your newborn grabs hold of your finger when you place it in their palm, this is the palmar reflex at work. It’s one of several involuntary responses that babies have when they’re born. 

At around 2 months old, many babies become fascinated with the movement of their hands. This stage of hand discovery is an early step in the development of hand-eye coordination. Their brain may be starting to direct their hands based on what they see. This complex process happens in just milliseconds. 

Learning to grasp an object takes a lot of practice. At around 3 to 5 months old, your baby may begin reaching for things but will often miss before successfully making contact. They may bat at an object but not take hold of it. As they continue to interact with their environment, their attempts to touch things will gradually become more accurate. By 4 to 6 months old, they may successfully grab an object but drop it unintentionally. They may also grab and play with their feet while lying on their back. 

Hand-eye coordination at 6 to 12 months

Your baby’s hand-eye coordination should become noticeably better about halfway through their first year. They may explore an object with their hands and mouth, bang it on a surface, and reach for another object with their free hand. Your baby may start holding their own bottle between 6 and 10 months of age.

They’ll also start learning how to use their hands together. They may pass an object from one hand to the other and bang two objects together. This means that other two-handed activities, like clapping and opening a container, aren’t far off. 

As your baby approaches their first birthday, they’ll start to use their hand-eye coordination skills to handle and explore objects. For example, they may transfer things into and out of a container, one by one. They may put food in their mouth with their hands or a spoon, and drink from a cup—though it may be messy 🙃 

Hand-eye coordination in toddlers and preschoolers

Over time and with practice, your child’s hand and finger movements will become more refined. As a 1-year-old, they’ll explore different ways of grasping and manipulating objects. Holding a writing tool in their fist, they may also make their first attempts to put marks on paper. 

At around age 2, your child may begin to do tasks that require more precision. For example, they may turn the pages of a book or pour objects from one container to another. 

By the time your child is 3, they may have developed abilities like catching a playground ball by trapping it against their body, pouring small amounts of water with control from one container to another, and using a fork to eat. They may also be capable of drawing a circle and horizontal and vertical lines, when shown how, and cutting along a line with child-safe scissors. 

After your child’s 4th birthday, you can start to help them prepare for kindergarten by encouraging them to practice skills like handwriting, folding and cutting paper, and opening and closing clothing fasteners. They may now string beads to make a necklace, color within the line of a circle, and attempt to make representative drawings.

Activities to improve hand-eye coordination, stage by stage

Hand-eye coordination activities for babies

High-contrast mittened play: 0 to 2 months

Unlike mittens designed to keep newborns from scratching themselves, the Black & White Mittens are made just for playtime. The high-contrast patterns can help stimulate your baby’s visual development and draw their attention to their hands. This supports the development of early hand-eye coordination 🙂 

These mittens are meant to be used with supervision and in moderation. It’s important to keep your baby’s hands bare much of the time so they can learn from mouthing them, experiencing their reflexive grasp, and making direct contact with people and objects. Newborns are easily overstimulated, so if your baby turns their head away from the mittens, seems fussy, or cries, it’s time for a break.

Batting practice: 3 to 4 months 

By around 3.5 months, your baby will likely begin to open their hands and reach for objects. This is a great time to introduce batting activities to promote hand-eye coordination. Hang the Batting Ring from The Play Gym where your baby is likely to come in contact with it accidentally. This helps them discover how their hand movements can have an effect on things around them 😉

A tummy time moving target: 5 to 7 months

Place your baby belly-down on the floor with the Tummy Time Wobbler. The Wobbler’s movement is most dynamic on an uncarpeted surface. Your baby develops hand-eye coordination as they follow the moving Wobbler with their eyes and reach to capture it.

Real tool exploration: 7 to 9 months

Take advantage of your baby’s fascination with all that you do and introduce them to some of your kitchen tools. Exploring safe everyday objects helps build finger strength, dexterity, and hand-eye coordination.

Gather baby-safe basics, like a plastic bowl, whisk, spatula, and measuring spoons. Place your baby in tummy time or a seated position and lay the objects within their reach. As they explore the tools, talk about each one and demonstrate how it’s used. Note: Please be sure to closely supervise your baby at all times during this activity and put the tools safely away when play is done.

Hand-to-hand handoff: 5 to 7 months

A Montessori classic, the Hand-to-Hand Discs help your baby learn to coordinate not just their hands and eyes but also to use both hands together. While handling it, your child will eventually begin passing it from one hand to the other and back again.

Note that this plaything can be challenging to grasp at first. Holding onto its interlocked wooden discs requires more developed fine motor skills than holding onto a ring or rattle. So, don’t worry if it takes some practice ❤️

Your baby’s First Puzzle: 7 to 8 months

It may seem like your baby is too young for a puzzle, but a simple one can offer just the right challenge. The First Puzzle contains only one circular piece, so your baby can work on hand-eye precision as they pinch the knob and remove the piece from the base. Later, around 14 to 16 months, they may have enough control and coordination to place the circle piece back in the frame.

Seated ball capture: 9 to 10 months

Sitting and reaching for a ball helps your baby build hand-eye coordination as well as the core strength and balance needed to walk. Once your baby is a steady sitter, roll the Pincer Chime Ball toward them while they’re seated. They’ll use their eyes and ears to follow its unpredictable path and reach for it when it stops.

You can add to the challenge by rolling the ball slightly out of your baby’s reach. This encourages them to practice using their eyes to direct their hands to a more distant target. They’ll also practice shifting their weight to maintain their balance.

Ring around the handle: 9 to 10 months 

Model how to loop the Stainless Steel Jingle Keys ring over the handle of the Stainless Steel Tip & Turn. Then, give your baby a chance to try. With repetition, this simple activity will refine both their motor skills and their hand-eye coordination.

Sliding Top Box discovery: 11 to 12 months

Playing with the Sliding Top Box increases hand and finger strength as well as hand-eye coordination. Push the ball in the hole and ask your baby, “Where did it go?” Let them watch you slide the lid to reveal the ball. Then, encourage them to try it on their own. It may take some trial and error for them to learn to align the ball and push it through the hole, then slide the top to find the ball.

Container transfer: 10 to 12 months

Moving objects in and out of containers builds your baby’s hand strength, fine motor skills, and hand-eye coordination. A muffin tin works well for this activity because it provides 12 containers in one. Fill the muffin tin cups with balls or other toys and place the tin on the floor in front of your baby. Demonstrate how to move the playthings in and out of the cups one at a time. Then, encourage your baby to try. 

Hand-eye coordination activities for toddlers

Block stacking: 12 months and up

Encourage your toddler to stack as many blocks as they can in a tower before it falls. They may be able to stack one block on another by 12 months of age, three blocks by 16 to 18 months, and four to six blocks by around 18 to 24 months. Knocking the tower over may be just as much fun as building it at this age 🙂

Water painting: 13 to 18 months

Show your toddler how to dip a small paintbrush into a bowl of water and make lines and shapes on a piece of paper or the sidewalk. If you’re outside and the sun is shining, point out how the water disappears as it dries. Note: Please be sure to supervise your toddler at all times during this activity and put materials safely away when play is done. 

Progressive puzzling: 13 to 21 months

In addition to hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, puzzles help your child practice problem-solving, critical thinking, and logical reasoning. When one type becomes easy for your toddler, try challenging them with another. You can start with the Circle of Friends Puzzle and follow it with the Geo Shapes Puzzle.

Bead threading: 16 months and up

Stringing beads is a classic Montessori activity that increases hand-eye coordination. It’s also an opportunity for your child to practice using both hands together. This can eventually help them perform tasks like handwriting, tying shoelaces, and fastening and unfastening buttons. 

Although children can typically string a bead by around 20 to 23 months, the Threadable Bead Kit is designed to allow your toddler to work on this skill a bit earlier. Start by holding the dowel upright with a bead poised on it. Invite your child to pull the dowel through the top of the bead and let the bead drop down the string. Then, hold the dowel upright and encourage your toddler to add another bead.

Nesting bowls and cups: 19  to 24 months

Nesting containers, like the Nesting Stacking Dripdrop Cups, is another way for your toddler to refine their hand-eye coordination. It also builds their problem-solving and visual discrimination skills. As you demonstrate how to put a cup into a larger cup, point out that the inside cup is smaller and the outside cup is bigger. If your toddler tries to put a cup into a smaller one, you can show them again. When your toddler catches on, offer them three or more cups to nest.

Vertical line imitation: 22 to 23 months

If you draw a vertical line on paper, your toddler will probably try to copy it—although their line likely won’t look straight at first. They can also practice by drawing with their finger in a pan of flour, with a stick in soft soil, or when fingerpainting. 

Posting practice: 22 to 24 months

Pushing narrow objects through holes—known as posting—challenges your toddler’s eyes to guide their hands with precision. Your child can work on this by playing with the Wooden Posting Stand. They’ll need to align the ends of the dowels with the openings in the stand and use visual discrimination to determine which holes the thicker dowels fit in.

Hand-eye coordination activities for preschoolers

Scribbling with control: 25 to 27 months

Between 23 and 25 months, your child may learn to grasp a crayon between their thumb and fingers with both their thumb and the crayon tip pointing down toward a piece of paper. This will give them more control over their markings than a fisted grasp. Practicing with paintsticks or crayons on paper helps build both dexterity and hand-eye coordination. 

A dish-balancing act: 25 to 27 months 

You can help your 2-year-old build hand-eye coordination and body control with the Bio-Based Cups & Plates from the Super Sustainable Sink. Set a cup on a plate and show your child how to hold it steady as you walk across the room. Try walking together as you each balance a cup ❤️

Puzzle-piece lacing: 28 to 30 months

Lacing provides lots of hand-eye coordination practice. Start by folding over both ends of a pipe cleaner to safely bury sharp tips. Attach it to a piece from the Sort & Stack Peg Puzzle with more than one hole. Then, show your child how to lace the pipe cleaner through the remaining holes. Invite them to lace pipe cleaners through pieces of different colors and shapes. They can also try lacing two pieces together.

Fabric folding: 25 to 27 months

Folding laundry may seem like a simple task, but it’s a hand-eye coordination challenge for a 2-year-old. Introduce folding practice with the Magic Tissues—they’re a perfect size for little hands. Show your child how to fold one from top to bottom, then left to right. Once they can do this confidently, ask if they’d like to help you with washcloths and hand towels the next time you fold laundry. 

Coordination-building bugs: 28 to 30 months

Getting dressed involves a great deal of coordination between your child’s eyes and hands. It also requires them to reach across their body—an important developmental skill known as crossing the midline that involves both sides of their brain. 

To help your child practice, try placing a bug from the Fuzzy Bug Shrub on a sock they’re wearing on their right foot. Then, prompt them to use their left hand to pull it off and place it in the Shrub. Repeat this, alternating the foot you attach the bug to and the hand you encourage them to use to grab it, so your child crosses their body with both hands ❤️

Early “pruning” practice: 26 to 30 months

Age-appropriate scissors are an excellent tool for improving your child’s hand-eye coordination. For some simple snipping practice, draw vertical lines along the edge of a sheet of green paper. Guide your child to snip along the lines to make “grass.” When they finish, cut the paper grass into a strip and tape it to the base of the Felt Flowers in a Row. Invite your child to complete the garden scene using brown modeling dough as dirt, “planting” the flowers, and trimming the grass. 

Related: How to help your toddler learn to use scissors

Peg camper sleepwalk: 34 to 36 months 

Stand the peg people from the Van Go Outdoor Adventure along one side of a large sheet of paper and lay their sleeping bags along the opposite edge. Draw a straight, zigzag, curly, or dotted line between each peg and its coordinating sleeping bag. Encourage your child to move each peg person along the path to their bed. This “tracing” activity helps your child develop the hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills they’ll need to learn to write words and numerals.

Creative fort construction: 40 to 42 months

Children love making cozy spaces where they can play pretend or look at books. Your preschooler can develop hand-eye coordination with the Easy Connect Fort Set as they connect its dowels to its brackets and clips to design their own fort. They can even engineer it in different shapes—a cube or a tunnel.

Button trail: 40 to 42 months  

Gather a few sheets of drawing paper, a marker or crayon, and multicolored buttons, like the ones from the Mosaic Button Board. Draw one or two lines on each sheet of paper, varying their type from straight to wavy to zigzag.

Invite your child to line up buttons along the lines. The goal is to have a line of buttons from one end of each line to the other. Placing the buttons helps your child practice fine motor precision and hand-eye coordination. 

Cutting paths: 40 to 42 months

Not long after your child’s third birthday, their increasing hand-eye, fine motor, and bilateral coordination will likely allow them to use scissors with some control. They may be capable of cutting paper in a straight or curved line.

To help improve your child’s scissor skills, gather some paper, markers, and a pair of blunt-tipped, child-friendly scissors. By now, your child is probably showing a hand preference, so make sure the scissors you provide are designed for their dominant hand. Left- and right-handed scissors aren’t interchangeable.

Use the markers to draw one or two different types of lines—some curvy and some straight—across each sheet of paper. Encourage your child to cut along each line. At first, they may often stray far from the line when cutting, but their accuracy will gradually improve.

Stitching patterns: 46 to 48 months

Stitching on the cloth patterns in the First Sewing Kit is a fun way for your child to build strength and hand-eye precision for handwriting. This activity is slightly more challenging than the lacing activity previously suggested for 28- to 30-month-olds. 

The broken-crayon grip: 52 to 54 months

Don’t toss out broken crayons. Shorter than many writing tools, the stubby fragments can actually help your child learn to use the ergonomic tripod grip that’s best for the development of their fingers and handwriting skills. Holding a short crayon between their index finger, thumb, and middle finger gives your child practice with this grip, which they’ll need to use a pencil correctly.  

Write some letters, numerals, or shapes on a piece of paper and encourage your child to trace over them. You can also try drawing several series of dots on paper and inviting your child to connect them with straight, curvy, or zigzag lines.

Sand sculpture: 52 to 54 months

Molding, unmolding, cutting, and sculpting with the Modeling Sand and Unit Block Builders takes precise fine motor work and hand-eye coordination. Your child can arrange the sand cubes in the patterns on the Activity Cards to create a sand whale, castle, and robot. Or, they can stack the cubes to build whatever they imagine on the wooden cutting board.

Ball or bean bag toss: 55 to 57 months

By age 4, your child may already be able to catch a large ball, so try playing with a slightly smaller one for a different hand-eye coordination challenge. You can also try playing catch with the Bean Bags from the Jump-In Eco Hoops set. Their different shape challenges your child’s coordination skills in a new way.

Hand-eye coordination challenges

Your child will continue to develop and refine their hand-eye coordination beyond their preschool years. Each child’s developmental path is unique, so this skill may emerge sooner in some children than in others. If your child seems to struggle with hand-eye coordination tasks, like stacking blocks or self-feeding, please reach out to their pediatrician, who can assess their overall development and answer any questions.

Learn more about this topic

• Reach, grasp, mouth, repeat

• Pre-writing activities for your 2-year-old

• Podcast: The benefits of unstructured play