Overview

Like other fine motor skills, using scissors can be challenging for children. Using them requires finger strength, precision, and concentration. Most Kindergarteners will just be starting to use scissors for the first time, so please do not feel overwhelmed by any expectations! Just try these basic activities as a way to work on your child’s hand strength and prepare them for the arts & crafts they may partake in at school!

Tips & Tricks:

• Use child-sized scissors that fit your child’s hands! This will make snipping easier.

• Encourage your child to make small, straight snips with their scissors along the border of a paper!

• Try using this rhyme for proper hand positioning:

  • "Fingers on the bottom, Thumb on top, Open up your hand, and Chop-chop-chop!"

• Remind your child to use their "helper hand" (non-cutting hand) to hold and adjust the paper while using their scissors instead of changing the position of their cutting hand, and to always cut away from their body. (See image above)

Other Variations:

• Try snipping at a chunk of playdough! The soft texture is more forgiving.

• Try cutting using templates! (See the resources below)