If you are looking for creative ways to offer motor skill options to target development, then this motor skills choice board hits the mark. Use the motor skill activities to target sensory needs, physical motor development, balance, coordination or more. Kids will love the choice board options!
Motor Skills Choice Board
You might be wondering what we mean by a motor skills choice board.
A motor skills choice board is a visual tool that provides a range of motor skill activities or exercises for individuals to choose from.
Choice boards are often used in therapy sessions, in the classroom, or as a visual option to offer choices that target specific skill or task development. In the educational or therapeutic settings such as in classrooms or occupational therapy sessions, choice boards are also used to promote motor skill development and engagement.
A choice board typically consists of a series of pictures or icons that represent different activities. This can be in the format of a grid or even a BINGO game.
For a motor skills choice board, activities can incorporate many different motor tasks. These might include:
- jumping jacks
- yoga poses
- hand-eye coordination exercises
- animal walks
- heavy work activities
- chores
- HIIT exercises
Other choice boards target tasks such as handwriting challenges or sensory diet activities. We have a popular summer bucket list choice board that encourages outdoor play over the summer months.
No matter what the format is, a choice board offers buy-in to the user, as it is meaningful and motivating to have a choice in completing tasks.
The activities may be categorized by skill level, type of movement, or other criteria, depending on the intended audience.
The purpose of a motor skills choice board is to provide individuals with a sense of choice and control over their motor skill development, while also promoting active participation and engagement. By selecting their own activities from the board, individuals can tailor their motor skill practice to their own interests and abilities, which can increase their motivation and willingness to participate.
Motor Skills Choice Board
Pick a skill and complete one each day. Check it off until all are done.
Make a line of dominos stand up and then push to knock over |
Play a card game | Crab walk around/under furniture | Make a balance beam out of tape, socks, cut out shapes | Write letters in shaving cream or different substances such as rice |
Flip 10 pennies, pocket them in palm then transfer to bank |
Practice shoe tying on a big shoe on table then on foot | Hide small objects in slime or putty then find them |
Pick Up Pom Pom’s using a tweezer, clothespins or tongs |
Wheelbarrow walk with a partner then switch and hold legs |
Do an obstacle course indoors or outdoors | Gather & Paint
Rocks |
Free Choice | Color a Page in a coloring book |
Type an email to a classmate or teacher |
Draw a overlapping scribbled line then fill in each area with different patterns and colors | Write or type a grocery list or recipe | Roll worms with Playdoh, make letters then write them | Make a picture using only stencils or a ruler to draw lines then color | Color a picture with crayons then paint over it with watercolors |
Cut out coupons in a newspaper or pictures in magazines – make a collage | Make a sensory path – different textures or substances – walk on it barefoot | Put 10 small objects in a bag then without looking identify the object with fingers | Make a spaghetti necklace | Make Movement Path with Items around house – in or out of house |
By: Joan DiPierro Dubeau, OT