A display apparatus and a method for recognizing a motion thereof are provided. The method includes setting an active area in which the externally input motion is recognizable, wherein the active area corresponds to a portion on a screen of the display apparatus, changing the display apparatus from an overall area motion recognition mode to a partial area motion recognition mode configured to only recognize the externally input motion in the active area, recognizing the externally input motion in the active area, and disabling the partial area motion recognition mode in response to the recognized externally input motion being a disabling motion configured to disable the partial area motion recognition mode.