The University of Canberra will open the city's first child-focused occupational therapy program led by students later this month.

Master of Occupational Therapy course convener Stephen Isbel said up to 160 children were expected to use the clinic in its first year, with the focus on using play to help children with everyday activities.

"It is through play that children develop socially, physically and cognitively and it is the primary therapy that occupational therapists use with children," he said.

"The clinic will help the development of preschool skills, such as drawing, cutting and playing, and school-age skills, including writing and engaging in classroom activities."

Second-year masters student Isobel Hannan, 43, said helping children with struggles such as handwriting – sometimes caused by how they held a pen or pencil – would be rewarding.

"It will be fantastic to be with children at the community level rather than at a hospital," she said.

First-year masters student Jessica Grove, 28, said activities such as building or designing with Lego, Play-Doh or Theraputty could help to strengthen children's fine motor skills and control.

Dr Isbel said the clinic would be open to all children from the age of three. Children would be assessed initially but there was no requirement to be qualified for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and the clinic was not a diagnostic-based service.

The goals of the children and their parents would be the primary consideration in the program, he said.

Up to 16 UC students would attend the clinic each year for 28 weeks, supervised by registered occupational therapists.

Dr Isbel said there was a demand for the service in Canberra as Therapy ACT had reduced relevant offerings due to the NDIS roll-out.

Referrals can be booked in from January 4, with the clinics to begin from the last week of January. For information contact UC's Faculty of Health Clinic on (02) 6201 5843.