Rainbow Activity – Free Printable Crossing Midline

Check out this super engaging crossing midline challenge! This rainbow activity is a colorful printable to practice various motor skills and more. You can download it for free at the bottom of this blog post. It is a sample page from the complete Spring Sensory Stops packet.

WHAT SKILLS DO YOU WANT TO IMPROVE WITH THIS RAINBOW ACTIVITY?

This free printable helps kids work on the following skills:

• Fine motor skills
• Visual motor skills
• Motor planning
• Body awareness
• Coordination
• Crossing midline

HOW DO YOU COMPLETE THIS ACTIVITY?

• Print out the Rainbow activity.
• Place your right hand over the yellow emoji at the bottom.
• Use your left pointer finger to touch each letter in the phrase RAINBOWS AND FLOWERS.
• Switch hands and put your left hand over the blue emoji.
• Use your right pointer finger to touch each letter.

HOW TO GET ACCESS TO THE FREE PRINTABLE

All you need to do is follow these three steps to access the printable page for kindergarten students, elementary, middle school, high school and homeschool students:

1. Sign up to receive the emails from Your Therapy Source. If you already get our emails, you can enter your email in the box. You will not be subscribed twice.
2. You will be redirected to download the PDF format file of the printable activity.
3. Print the activity.

OTHER WAYS TO COMPLETE THE ACTIVITY

Here are a few options to modify or differentiate this activity:

• Print on cardstock paper and laminate it.  Use wipe-off markers to write on the free printable by coloring in each letter or circling it.
• Make it easier by: providing audio cues and reading the letters out loud.
• Make it more difficult by: covering up the words and see if the student can spell and remember the letters.
• Add in physical activity by: hanging the rainbow activity on the wall. Kids have to complete activity in the vertical plane encouraging shoulder strengthening too!

WHY ARE THESE SKILLS IMPORTANT FOR THE CHILDREN TO PRACTICE WITH THIS FREE PRINTABLE?

Here are more details about this free printable and why the skills are important to practice.

FINE MOTOR SKILLS

Fine motor skills refer to the ability to control small muscles in the hands and fingers. For example in this activity, the children have to: point to the correct letter.

Fine motor skills develop throughout childhood and continue to improve into adulthood. They are important for activities such as writing, typing,  cooking, and using other tools. There are many ways to improve fine motor skills, including occupational therapy, targeted exercises, and adaptive devices. Get more fine motor activity ideas.

VISUAL MOTOR SKILLS

Visual motor skills are the ability to use information from our visual system to guide our motor system. This can include skills such as catching a ball, writing, drawing, and cutting with scissors. Visual motor skills involve the coordination of both large and small muscles.

For example, in this activity the children have to: scan and point to the correct letters.

Additionally, visual motor skills develop over time – infants and toddlers typically have poorer visual motor skills than school-aged children or adults.There are many ways to improve visual motor skills, such as by playing sports, engaging in crafts, or participating in other activities that require coordination and fine motor skills. Anyone can benefit from improving their visual motor skills! Get more visual motor activity ideas.

VISUAL SCANNING SKILLS

Visual scanning skills refer to the ability to look at a visual display and take in the information quickly and efficiently. This can be useful in a variety of settings, from reading a book to finding a specific item in a store. 

For example, in this activity children have to: scan and find the letters.

There are a few key things that can help improve visual scanning skills. First, it is important to learn how to focus and maintain attention on the task at hand. Second, it can be helpful to practice “chunking” information, which means breaking down a visual display into smaller pieces and taking them in one at a time. Practicing visual scanning can help you to be able to quickly process information and make decisions based on what is seen. With some practice, visual scanning skills can be improved, making it easier to locate specific visual information. Read more about visual scanning activities.

COORDINATION SKILLS

Coordination skills involve the ability to use your body in a smooth, efficient way. There is eye hand coordination, eye foot coordination, and bilateral coordination (using both sides of the body together). Good coordination skills are important for activities such as playing catch, sports,and dance. Practicing coordination exercises regularly can help!

In this activity, the children are working on these coordination skills: hold one hand in place and point with the other hand. The one hand has to cross the midline across the page as well.

Read more about coordination exercises for kids.

WHEN IS A GOOD TIME TO USE THIS ACTIVITY?

The free printable is great to use for:

• Brain breaks
• Occupational Therapy Session
• Physical Therapy Session
• Carry over activities at home
• School breaks
• Anytime kids need some extra motor skill practice!

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