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How to Develop Scissor Skills

These cutting practice activities help kids to develop their scissor skills. They’re great for kids in Pre-K, Preschool and Kindergarten.

Tips for Helping Kids Develop Scissor Skills

Teaching kids to use scissors can be a tricky task! Be patient, it takes can take some time for kids to build this skill and develop their confidence.

Selecting Scissors

First of all work out if they are left or right handed. An easy way to do this is to place the scissors in front of them and ask to pick them up. Usually kids will use their dominant hand to pick the item up. Once you’ve worked that out, the next step would be to grab them some left handed or right handed scissors.

Some children may also benefit from scissors designed by occupational therapists such as dual control, spring back or long loop scissors. These types of scissors are available at most education supply stores.

Holding the Scissors

Start by prompting the kids to put their thumb in the small hole of the scissors and turn their wrist so that their thumb is on top. Next, model how to move the scissors by opening and shutting them, then moving the scissors forward to start again. I love singing the song “Open Shut Them” to help cue kids while they’re cutting. Finally, teach the kids about scissor safety by showing them how to close the scissors after use and put them away.

Develop Scissor Skills by Cutting Lines

Cutting thick lines is a great way for beginners to develop their confidence in handling the scissors, as there is less pressure to be so precise. Begin by providing kids with straight lines to cut. Once they get the hang of that, you can teach them to cut curved and zig zag lines. It’s often helpful for kids to see you model how to turn the paper. I usually model how to remove excess paper too in order to make cutting easier.

Some simple lines to get you started are available below. Kids need to cut towards the target  of a smiley face and then stop. Kids love it when these are printed on colored paper!

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Targeted Cutting Practice

As kids become more confident with cutting basic lines, they will be ready for more challenging cutting activities that require skills such as cutting around a target. I created a range of cutting practice worksheets to help kids develop their scissor skills.  For example, some objects have cutting lines around them to develop the skill of doing a “rough cut” around an object. I find once kids can master this skill, they are ready to move onto more precise cutting activities, which is a component of many craft activities. Getting kids to cut out precise objects before they are ready, often leads to bits of templates being chopped off accidentally!

More Fun Activities to Develop Scissor Skills

If you’re looking for more fun activities to help kids develop their scissor skills, then be sure to check out the packs below. I’ve included lots of cutting practice pages with thick lines to help kids learn to cut successfully.

<<Cutting Practice Worksheets – Ocean Animals, Pirates & Pets>>

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<<Cutting Practice – Fairytales, Nursery Rhymes & Mythical Creatures >>

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<<Cutting Worksheets – Dinosaurs, Space & Monsters>>

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<<Cutting Worksheets – Australian Animals, Bugs & Safari>>

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 <<Cutting Worksheets – Farm Animals, Community Helpers & Transport>>

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<<Cutting Worksheets – Healthy Eating, 2D Shapes & Weather>>

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<<Grab your free scissor skills activities below >>

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