These fun bilateral coordination toys are great for all ages and will keep kids active and engaged as they work on bilateral skills!
Bilateral coordination is the ability to use both sides of the body together in a coordinated manner. This is a critical skill for kids because it is involved in many everyday tasks like writing, cutting, interacting with toys, and playing sports.
As pediatric therapists, we know that the most effective way to practice any skill is through play! So today, we’re bringing you a huge list of our favorite bilateral coordination activities and toys for kids of all ages. From zoom balls to bristle blocks, we’ve got your bilateral coordination bases covered!
Whether you’re a parent, educator, or therapist, these toy recommendations will go a long way toward supporting children’s development while they play!
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What is Bilateral Coordination?
Before we dive into the bilateral coordination activities and toys, let’s do a quick overview of this skill. There are actually three types of bilateral coordination (sometimes called bilateral integration)that we use to manipulate and interact with the objects in our environments every day: symmetrical, alternating, and leading/supporting.
Symmetrical bilateral coordination is when we are using both sides of the body at the same time to accomplish a task (e.g. rolling dough with a rolling pin). In alternating bilateral coordination, one side of the body performs the movement and then the movement is repeated on the other side of the body (e.g. crawling). In leading/supporting bilateral coordination, both sides of the body are required for the task but each side does something different (e.g. stabilizing the paper with one hand and cutting with scissors with the other hand).
If you think about all of the activities a child does throughout the daily routine – at home, at school, and at play – you could find literally hundreds of examples of functional tasks that require bilateral coordination. This is why it is such a common skill that is addressed by occupational therapists and physical therapists. For some kids, bilateral coordination is a challenge and they benefit from lots of repeated practice. That’s where bilateral coordination toys come in!
You can learn more about bilateral coordination in the posts below:
Bilateral Coordination Basics [FREE Printable]
Hand Dominance [FREE Printable]
Bilateral Coordination Activities With a Pool Noodle
Developmental Skills: Midline Crossing
Bilateral Coordination Toys
Wondering what toys help with bilateral hand use? We’ve got you covered with 35 of our favorite recommendations!
Lacing Cards
These pretty lacing cards are a great way for kids to practice using two hands together.
Pop Beads
These fun pop beads are one of our kids’ favorite toys at The Treehouse! They love making bracelets, rings, and necklaces!
Rocket Balloons and Pump
Another one of our kids’ favorite toys! Kids can help pump up the balloon (holding the pump with one hand and the balloon with the other) and then watch as it squeals and flies around the room!
Easy Squeeze Hole Punches
These hole punches are a great way to practice bilateral coordination skills and are much easier to squeeze than the old fashioned metal ones!
Shape Sorter
This toy a unique way to practice using two hands together! Kids/babies have to squeeze the shapes through the elastic bands, requiring the use of two hands.
Cutting Fruit Set
Kids love pretending to cook! This set lets them practice cutting the food with a pretend knife – perfect for practicing leading/supporting bilateral coordination!
Chain Link Toy
How long of a chain can you make? Kids will have to use both hands to link the pieces together!
Magnetic Blocks
This set of blocks has become a well-loved favorite at The Treehouse! Kids love building towers and other designs or pulling the blocks apart and sticking them onto our magnetic marker boards.
Putty & Manipulatives
We’re obsessed with these cute themed putty and manipulative sets! This ocean-themed set is our favorite! Kids will build hand strength and bilateral coordination as they pull the manipulatives out of the putty.
Nuts & Bolts Toy
This classic bilateral coordination toy is the perfect thing to keep in your therapy bag or to keep on hand for classroom centers!
Zingo
This is such a fun game and comes in a few different variations. The one pictured here is a simple picture matching version. Kids have to stabilize the plastic base with one hand while pulling forward with the other hand to reveal the picture tiles.
Card Holders
Playing card games is an awesome way to work on bilateral coordination! These card holders make things easier for younger kids or kids who struggle with fine motor skills and hand strength.
Pop Tubes
We’ve shared these toys before because they’re one of the most versatile options in our therapy bag! Kids have to use two hands to pull the tube apart, making a cool sound!
Fidget Spinners
For kids who love visual stimulation, these fidget spinners are a great way to keep them engaged in bilateral coordination practice!
Finger Flingers
One hand stabilizes the finger flinger while the other hand grasps the toy before letting it fly! Kids have a blast chasing these little guys around the room!
Interlocking Bristle Blocks
Build towers, castles, vehicles and more with these fun blocks that come in all different shapes and sizes. The blocks stick together using tiny bristles, so kids will need some hand strength and bilateral coordination to pull them apart!
Zoom Ball
Get up and moving with this fun gross motor toy that requires two hands to make the ball fly back to your partner!
Adapted Books
We love making these adapted books for kids! All you need is a board book, some velcro, and some laminated pictures to go along with the story!
DIY Hand Strengthening Toy
Here’s another bilateral coordination and hand strengthening DIY toy! Click the button below to learn how to make it and download the free pattern templates!
Put-In Tasks
Put-in tasks are one of our favorite ways to practice a whole variety of different skills, including bilateral coordination. Kids can stabilize the container with one hand as they put the manipulatives into the opening! Want ideas to make your own? Click the button below!
Squigz
These little suckers are great for hand strength, coordination, and bilateral coordination! Kids can build a long “snake” or a tower, sticking the suction cups to each other. Then they can pull them apart to create a new design!
Egg Toy
This fun egg matching toy requires kids to use two hands to open and close the eggs to match the colors.
Popsicle Toy
Another great learning toy that also incorporates the use of two hands together!
Interlocking Building Toy
This is a cool and colorful fine motor toy that is awesome for constructive building play!
Play Sink & Dishes
How cool is this toy?? Real water comes out of the faucet and kids will love pretending to be mom or dad in the kitchen! Holding dishes as they scrub them with the brush is great bilateral coordination practice!
Wood Beads
Stringing beads is a great bilateral coordination activity and one of our favorite fine motor tasks! This cute set includes fruits and animals!
Accordion Toy
Perfect for babies and toddlers, this little accordion toy requires two hands to pull it apart and squeeze back together!
Lock & Key Toy
So many awesome skills can be addressed with this fun set! From color matching to shape matching to bilateral coordination and more!
Large Interlocking Blocks
These blocks are great for babies and toddlers to practice putting objects together and pulling them apart with two hands!
Small Rolling Pins
Use them with play dough or to help bake in the kitchen!
Toy Drum
Babies will love making a little bit of noise as they beat the drum with both hands using the plastic sticks!
Jump Ropes
Another great gross motor option for practicing bilateral coordination!
Lego Classic Set
We love using these little gems for hand strengthening, bilateral coordination, and more! And they’re great for kids of all ages!
Fastener Boards
For kids who are working on clothing fasteners, these boards are a must-have and include a button board, a zipper board, a snap board, and more!
Climbing Ladder
How high can you go? Climbing a ladder requires the use of both hands and both feet in a reciprocal pattern to reach the top!
