1. BUBBLES - the best way to coordinate our eye muscles are to use them to look at targets, especially small moving targets.  Bubbles are a universal yes for most kiddos.  Give them a small item like a straw or tongue depressor and let them try to pop the bubbles with the end of the wand.  

Our visual system has receptors (or nerves that take information to our brain) obviously in our eyes (mainly at the back part of our eye), that give us the perception of color, objects, shapes, etc.  When we think of our visual abilities, often we think only of “Can we see?”  This is actually just our acuity: are we nearsighted, farsighted, 20/20, astigmatism?  But the actual skills that are developed due to the processing of visual information relate more to our visual perception and our ocular motor skills.

Our auditory system has receptors (or nerves that take information to our brain) in our inner ear, which is why it gives us information about sounds that are heard.  Sound is understood by our brain at different frequencies from high frequency or high pitch (woman's voice, airplane) to low pitch sounds (man's voice, vacuum cleaner, garbage truck).  Types of sound react differently in our ear and is why some children prefer or avoid noisy environments with lots of talking or certain sounds like hair dryer, toilet flushing, etc.

What can I do to help with the development of my child's vestibular system?

There are two activities that are fun to try:

Our vestibular system has receptors (or nerves that take information to our brain) in our inner ear, which is why it gives us information about how our head is moving.  Each type of movement activates a different type of vestibular receptor.  Types of movement include bouncing up and down (vertically), moving in circles (rotation), moving left to right (horizontally).  Because it also tells us how gravity is acting on us (why there is no vestibular input present in space), it also helps us with balance and establishes our postural control (deep core muscles).

Our tactile system has receptors (or nerves that take information to our brain) in our skin, which is our largest sense organ as it is present all over our body.  There are many different touch receptors in our skin for pressure, touch, texture, temperature, and pain.  This sensory system develops first in the womb and is therefore extremely important to our overall sensory development.

Learning toys for this age should focus on motivating children to move and engage their body.  Since they are not yet skilled in grasping and manipulating, toys are universally motivating that just require a whole handed grasp (such as a rattle).  Toys like a rattle are also motivating because it incorporates sound.