Fun and Simple Practice With Scissors

Looking for a really fun and easy way to give kids some practice with scissors?  Check out this activity!

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For kids who struggle with grasping scissors or with moving scissors across paper to cut on a line, I find that a little bit of proprioceptive input goes a long way.

I often have kids practice cutting thicker paper, theraputty, playdough, or straws.  This gives them heavy input in their muscles and joints and builds awareness and muscle memory.

This school year, I’ve discovered yet another awesome way to help kids with scissors!  Ladies and gentlemen, behold…the bumpy stuff teachers use to make cute borders on bulletin boards!  A retiring teacher friend of mine was giving away bags of the stuff and I happily loaded up on it.

I’ve used this corrugated decorative border with several kids in therapy to address scissors skills and I’m in LOVE.

First of all, it’s nice and thick for resistive input against scissors.

Also, as kids cut, they automatically line their scissors up with one of the corrugated lines and their scissors fit right into the groove – aligning them perfectly to cut straight forward.

Lastly, it’s the perfect width for kids who are new to scissors (cutting across a full piece of paper can be daunting for little fingers, but a narrow strip like this is perfect)!

When I used the decorative border with my preschoolers, I had them warm up first by clipping several clothespins and other clips down a length about 1 1/2 feet long – like we did for our Personalized Caterpillars.

This is great for setting the hands up the right way for cutting with scissors (stabilizing the paper with one hand, keeping both hands in a “thumbs up” position, and again, great proprioceptive input as they squeeze against the resistance of the clips).

Then, I drew dark lines on some of the grooves and had the kids cut across each of them.  Try it with your little ones and let us know how it goes!

Looking for more great cutting activities for kids?  Try these!

Creative Cutting Practice for Kids

13 Ways to Teach Kids How to Use Scissors

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