Most of us tend to forget that our eyes are muscles, and as with any muscle in the body, our eyes require exercise to stay fit and healthy. Much of our work nowadays has us focusing on objects near at hand, such as computer screens causing eye fatigue and strain, and children are no exception.
Children who spend a lot of time doing art and craft activities also find themselves needing to relax their eyes, and some simple exercises can provide that much needed eye relaxation and eye care. Teaching children simple eye care exercises is a good habit to form and will help in minimizing eye strain related symptoms.
Eye strain caused by focusing for long periods of time on objects within arms reach can cause symptoms such as blurred vision, headaches and fatigue. The simplest thing children can do to prevent eye strain is to take micro-pauses, where they look away from their work for 20 seconds every 20 minutes, and focus on an object about 5 meters away. This allows the eyes to relax. It is also a good idea to rest the eyes for 2 - 3 minutes every half hour, by closing the eyes, or if possible completely covering the eyes with a soft fabric to prevent any light entering.
Alternatively, another common technique used is called 
"palming". Here the child rubs their hands together for 15 - 20 seconds until they are warm, then slightly cupping them, places the hands over the eyes. Close the eyes in the cupped space of the hands, but do not rest the hands on the eyes. Sit quietly in this manner for 2 - 3 minutes. Taking long blinks can also help to relax the eyes.
Besides these techniques to relax and rest the eyes, other exercises to practice focusing at different distances should be included in an eye care routine. A simple exercise for children is to have them move both eyes simultaneously in small circles. To get started on this exercise, circle a finger in front of the face. Close the eyes and continue this exercise without moving any muscles in the face. Next try near-far focusing. The child holds a finger about 15 - 20 centimeters in front of their face.
First, they focus on their finger for 2-3 seconds, and then focus on an object about 3 meters away. Repeat this back and forth 10 - 15 times. Try scanning, where one moves an object, such as a pencil, back and forth in front of the childs' face while they follow this movement with their eyes. Do this at a speed the child can keep up with. If it is too fast, stop, allow the child to re-focus, and then try again. Another exercise to try allows the eyes to scan around the edges of the objects in a room in a loose, fluid manner for 2 minutes.
By using these simple eye care exercises, a child can reduce the chances of suffering eye strain from working with objects that are within arms reach. If you have any concerns about your childs' vision, consult an eye doctor.
