Skip to main content

Located at 271 Smithtown Boulevard Nesconset, NY 11767-2041

Request An Appointment
631-405-4207
Open Menu

sports kids asian 1280×853

Home » Eyecare Services » Vision Therapy » Exercises and Tools Used In Vision Therapy » Fun Summer Activities to Build Your Child’s Visual Skills

Fun Activities to Build Your Child’s Visual Skills

Summer is the perfect time to help children strengthen important visual skills—while having fun outdoors or indoors. At Eye Vision Associates in Nesconset, New York, we believe playful activities are a wonderful way to support healthy vision development, encourage eye–hand coordination, and even aid visual processing skills that support reading and learning.

Below, you’ll find ideas for easy outdoor games, creative activities, and helpful iPad apps that promote visual development in children. These activities can be a great supplement to vision therapy, or simply a fun way to encourage strong visual skills at home.

Outdoor Games to Strengthen Visual Skills

Simple backyard games can do wonders for binocular vision and eye–hand coordination. Try these engaging activities this summer:

  1. Bubble Popping: Blow bubbles and have your child track and pop a specific bubble. Make it a counting game for added fun.
  2. Chalk and Water: Write numbers, shapes, or sight words with chalk on the sidewalk. Call out one for them to find and spray away with water.
  3. Ball in Hoop: Use a hula hoop or basketball hoop for throwing games. Try “Horse” or “Around the World” for variety.
  4. Ball Bounce on X: Draw an X on the ground. Have your child throw the ball onto the X and catch it back. Step further back after three successes.
  5. Bean Bag Toss: Play catch with increasing distance. Challenge them to identify which hand they used to throw or catch.
  6. Walking Rail: Pretend to walk a tightrope on a curb or chalk line. Encourage heel-to-toe walking with arms out for balance.
  7. 4 Corner Saccades: Place 4 targets on the wall in a square. Call out each target to have them look quickly while maintaining posture.
  8. Pie Tin Rotations: Move a ping pong ball around the edge of a pie tin without crossing the center.
  9. Thumb Rotations: Have your child follow your thumb (or spoon/toy) as you draw circles, plus signs, and X shapes in the air.

These activities build skills like tracking, focusing, eye teaming, and visual processing—all essential for reading, sports, and classroom tasks.

Indoor Games and Activities

When it’s too hot or rainy outside, you can still encourage visual learning indoors. Try:

  1. Mazes and Connect-the-Dots: Help develop visual planning and fine motor control.
  2. Look-and-Find Books: Titles like Where’s Waldo, I Spy, and Look and Find promote visual search and attention.
  3. Word Searches: Build scanning skills and letter recognition.

These simple activities help children practice saccades (quick eye movements), figure-ground perception, and sustained focus—all key visual processing skills.

iPad Apps That Support Visual Skills

We also recommend several excellent apps designed to boost visual skills and support vision therapy goals.

Below is a summarized sample of categories and app ideas from our detailed chart:

  1. Tracking and Pursuits:
  2. Smooth Eye (iPad)
  3. VisioCoach (iPad)
  4. Eye–Hand Coordination:
  5. Dexteria Jr. (iPad)
  6. Cut the Rope (iPad)
  7. Visual Discrimination and Processing:
  8. Highlights Hidden Pictures
  9. Find the Difference Games
  10. Visual Memory:
  11. Memory® or Concentration apps
  12. Matching card games on tablets
  13. Saccades and Scanning:
  14. Word Search apps
  15. Letter or number find puzzles
  16. General Visual Skills:
  17. Drawing apps for tracing shapes and letters
  18. Connect-the-Dots apps

These apps are great for supporting visual skills at home in a fun, low-pressure way. Many are available for free or at a low cost on the App Store. Download the list of apps here.

Why Encourage Visual Skills at Home?

Strong visual skills are essential for school success, sports, and everyday tasks. Activities that improve focusing, tracking, eye teaming, and visual processing can help your child:

  1. Improve reading fluency and comprehension
  2. Reduce frustration with homework
  3. Build better coordination for sports and play
  4. Support confidence and independence

While these activities are helpful for all kids, they can be especially valuable for children who are undergoing vision therapy, have a history of visual processing issues, or have been struggling in school with reading and attention.

Ready to Support Your Child’s Visual Development?

Helping your child build strong visual skills doesn’t have to feel like work—it can be as simple as playing games, exploring creative activities, or trying a few recommended apps together. At Eye Vision Associates, our team is here to guide you every step of the way.

If you’re curious about whether your child might benefit from a functional vision exam or vision therapy, we’d love to talk with you. We offer thorough assessments and personalized treatment plans designed to improve visual skills that support learning, reading, and everyday confidence.

Give us a call at 631-588-5100 to learn more about our services or to schedule your child’s appointment. Let’s work together to make vision care an enjoyable and important part of your family’s routine.

We’re proud to serve families throughout Nesconset and nearby communities in New York.