OT Corner: Motor Planning
By Amy Wagenfeld, Ph.D, OTR/L
Originally printed in May, 2006

Have any of you heard the term “motor planning” bandied around in OT 
and PT reports, and wondered what it was all about?  I would like to 
use this column to discuss motor planning and its influence on a child’s life.

Can you remember back to when you were learning to ride a bike, learning 
to read, to tie your shoes, or to write your name?  Did you have to really 
think out every minute movement or action that went into learning the 
skill?  Until the movements became automatic, the process was pretty 
difficult, and if you are like me, was very frustrating.  Motor planning 
is the ability to carry out previously learned actions without any real 
rehearsal.  Motor planning also allows us to apply these ingrained 
movements to new movements or tasks, thus eliminating some of the 
awkwardness associated with new learning.  For instance, when we learn 
to hop, developmentally we have already mastered walking, jumping, and 
standing on one foot.  The components of hopping are more or less 
automatic; it is the process of putting them all together that is 
influenced by motor planning.  Those with strong motor planning skills 
will have less difficulty than those whose motor planning skills are 
more challenged.

Motor planning is influenced by both the sensory and motor systems in 
our bodies, and forms the foundation for being able to imitate movements, 
for following directions, for ease of movement, and for handwriting.  
We can enhance motor planning skills with our children in a variety of 
fun ways.  Let’s talk about some of them.

1. Play “Simon Says”… vary the game by using only words, only movements, 
or a combination of words and movements to direct the game

2. Create obstacle courses that involve climbing over, under, through, 
jumping, crawling, hopping (you get the idea)

3. Play “Follow the Leader”

4. Play simple “Charades”

5. Use building toys that involve following a pattern or instruction guide

6. Play on playground equipment

7. Jump rope (if old enough)

8. Play “Mother May I” or “Red Light, Green Light”

9. Do simple calisthenics like push ups, jumping jacks, windmills and sit ups

10. Practice ball skills like catching, throwing, dribbling (hands and feet)

As is true of many play experiences, their ability to carry over to “real world” 
situations is generally very helpful.  Have fun, and I will see you next month!