Image by: Juhan Sonin

Stare Dare!

Category
social
Age Range
3-7 yrs
Setup Time
No set-up time!
Setup Location
Indoor / Outdoor

Making eye contact is a basic social skill that leads to positive social interaction with others. An inability to make eye contact during a conversation is a social deficit. It may be a barrier to your child’s success at making friends. Many children need help grasping the skill of eye contact when speaking with others.

Good, solid eye contact show others that we are both interested in what they have to say and that we have confidence in our ability to listen.

This activity is a great way to encourage your child to develop confidence and engage in conversations!

Steps:

  1. Make sure your child establishes eye contact. By doing this, you’re teaching him the critical link between communication and focus

  2. Start a staring contest
 with your child! The sensory input may be calming and allow them to focus more on you.

  3. Teach them strategies to hold their gaze longer (have them gaze at a part of your eyes instead of the whole eye, 'study' the eye - shape, color, whiteness etc.)

Disclaimer: This presents an overview of child development. It is important to keep in mind that the time frames presented are averages and some children may achieve various developmental milestones earlier or later than the average but still be within the normal range of development. This information is presented to help parents understand, at a high level, what to expect from their child. Any questions/concerns you may have about your child’s development should be shared with your doctor.