Coming from the resident physical therapist, you might be expecting a gross motor activity when I mention the words “soccer dribble”. But not today! I have spent enough time co-treating with my OT friends to know that being able to follow a line with a pencil or even a finger is a major visual motor challenge. Activities like these are awesome for pre-writing skills too! Left to right, up and down, straight and curvy lines — this Soccer Dribble Challenge covers them all.
WHAT YOU NEED: Free printable, a pencil
WHAT TO DO: There are 4 different ways to “dribble” the soccer ball from start to finish on this activity. Have your child pick a place to start and place their finger on the black dot. Encourage them to use their finger to follow the dotted line until they get to the end (as marked by another black dot). Move through all 4 challenges by tracing with a finger. Next, try using the pencil and see if they can make it all the way to the end of each course without moving off the line!
HOW TO CHANGE IT UP:
-Place this sheet inside a ziplock bag and use dry erase markers so kids can complete the challenges over and over again or try a dry erase pouch!
-Take this visual motor activity outside and see if your child can replicate it with actual cones and a soccer ball, dribbling with their feet — see? I’m still a PT at heart! :)
-Grab a pair of scissors and working on those cutting skills! After your child has traced the lines, see if they can follow them by cutting with scissors!
SKILL AREAS ADDRESSED: Fine motor skills, visual motor integration, coordination, prewriting skills, grasp, gross motor skills (if you change it up!)