Throw a ball back and forth. Passing and catching a ball effectively requires both eye hand coordination and motor skills. If the child struggles with throwing and catching, use a large playground ball. If he is adept at the activity, use a tennis ball or softball.
Practice skipping. The repetitive, standard motion of skipping requires strong motor control. By third grade, most students will possess the skills necessary to engage in this simple activity. Skip around the block, school or parking lot with your third grader.
Play kickball. Gather some other kids and engage the child in a round of this playground favorite. Kickball follows rules nearly identical to those of baseball, except the players kick a playground ball instead of striking a ball with a bat. The combination of kicking and running make this game an ideal one for improving the coordination of motor skills.
Do a dance. Dancing requires the mixing of many motor skills. Play some music and work with the third grader to create a dance that involves a variety of movements including spinning, sliding and jumping. Create a routine and have the third grader practice it again and again to have fun while working on simple motion skills.
Set up an obstacle course. To successfully complete an obstacle course, a child must use all of the movement tools in her repertoire. Use simple household or classroom items to build your course in an open indoor space like a large basement or classroom or outside. Allow the child to take part in the building of the course to get her excited about completing it. After the course has been set up, encourage the child and her friends to race through, ducking, climbing and running their way through the obstacles.