Activities

Activities to Improve Scissor Skills

1. Grasp the scissors correctly!

· Fingers in large hole on bottom

· Thumb in small hole on top

2. Practice the grasp and release motion used to open and close the scissors:

· Use spray bottles to water indoor plants or to spray bath toys

· Use clothespins or tongs to pick up small objects and sort them into containers

3. Practice snipping:

· Roll snakes or hotdogs out of playdough and snip into smaller pieces

· Snip strips of paper, beginning with narrow strips which can be cut across in one snip

· Snip thicker paper (i.e. construction paper, paper plates) or straws

· Snip bold 1-inch lines along the bottom of a piece of paper or around a paper plate

· Snip consecutively across pieces of scrap paper

· Use your snips of paper to make a collage!

4. Practice cutting lines and shapes:

· Cut along bold, thick straight lines

· Cut along curved lines and circles

· Cut out simple shapes (i.e. square, triangle, rectangle)

5. Cut out pictures, letters or words from magazines or newspapers and make a collage!