PRE- SCISSOR SKILLS
When children have difficulties cutting, we often see them:
Avoid cutting activities
Hold the scissor with all or most of their fingers
Ripping paper rather than cutting it
Switch hands when cutting
Unable to open the scissors once closed
Unable to guide scissors along a line or snipping motions
Before cutting skills are acquired there are activities usually termed
that can
facilitate skill development or improve skills if your child is already using scissors.
Sensory based play can help to improve overall awareness of our hands through tactile input
and strengthening the muscles of the hands can assist with tool manipulation.
Playdough:
Roll, mould, squeeze, poke, pinch
Make ball, pancakes, snake
Use pizza cutter to cut playdough
Finger Puppet play:
Encourage finger isolation
Incorporate singing
Tweezer Play
Pick up tiny objects
Use kitchen tongs
Lacing Activities
String beads or cheerios
Make jewelry using cut-up
pieces of straw
Coins and Buttons
Pick them up
Insert them in the bank
Make designs
Cooking Activities
Making dough, cookies
Musical Instruments
Castanets
Finger- cymbals
Paper Activities
Tearing
Rolling
Folding
Children need reminders that scissors are a special tool with sharp edges that need to
be handled very carefully. They are not toys and children should never treat them as
such. Children should always be supervised by an adult while using and handling
scissors.
General Strategies:
Make sure the child has a stable and secure seated position, pulled in close to the table.
stool under their feet.
Adjust the task to me
Model the correct way to hold scissors, and correct your child when he is not doing so.
Hold scissors with thumb above the fingers
Point scissors away from the body, not parallel to the tummy
Keep scissors and work below the shoulders
Be sure the hand holding the paper does the most of the turning and movement
ACTIVITIES TO DEVELOP SCISSOR SKILLS
Make sure child has scissors appropriate for their ability.
Use one finger/thumb scissors for little hands.
Use dominant hand to hold the scissors and non-dominant hand with paper.
Make sure the thumb is in the correct hold and the wrist is positioned with the thumb
pointing up.
Encourage children to cut play dough to promote cutting motion in one hand, while
holding with the other.
Practice cutting in snip and provide verbal cues to help them plan with their movement
Practice opening and shutting the scissors (without paper)
Encourage to cut straight lines across the short piece of paper, gradually increasing the
length. Provide thick black cutting line, if necessary.
Introduce gentle curves, then straight lines with turns (triangles, squares). Start with
larger shapes then progress to small
Encourage to cut out pictures from magazines and paste them to make collage.
Show to fold paper and cut out shapes
Provide opportunities to practice staying on lines by getting the child to cut between
string, dried glue lines and craft sticks. This gives the child a physical and visual prompt
to guide the scissors.
Learning to use scissors properly and acquiring the skill helps to develop the
necessary tools for handwriting
Other Paper Materials that you can try practice cutting:
Recycled cereal boxes
Construction Paper
Newspaper
Cardstock
Index Card
Coupons
Junk Mail
Paper Plates
Caution: Please note that some children will not be able to use scissors or attain a functional grasp due to poor muscle tone,
strength, range of motion, or coordination. Please consult an occupational therapist if struggles to achieve these skills persist.