The other day, my neighbor proudly showed me some arts and crafts that her three-year old had made. She boasted on the amazing triangles her daughter had cut with scissors all on her own. While I was beyond impressed with her handy work, I immediately thought “Scissors! I’ve never even let my daughter touch a pair and she’s three too!” To be honest, I’ve never really though much of it, as she is pretty content with crayons and water colors. But ever since, I’ve started researching the importance of children using scissors. As it turns out, it’s not just a milestone that turns your child into a potential hair dresser- it’s a developmentally important step in enhancing hand eye coordination, bulking up the muscles in their hand and also encourages bilateral coordination (using both sides of your body simultaneously). So grab a pair of training scissors and start building serious scissor skills in your toddler with these crafts!
Source: SugarAunts.com
1. Cupcake Liner Flowers
These cupcake liner flowers are a great beginner craft, because it requires cutting in straight lines. These liners are especially fun because of their bold bright colors and are great for turning a scissor-building activity into a fun piece of art to share with family and friends. Your child can practice cutting on the existing folds of the liner, and also learn how to start and stop cutting on a specific point. Great for hand-eye coordination!
Head over to SugarAunts.com for more info on this adorable craft and other amazing resources for your kids.
Source: FrogsAndSnailsAndPuppyDogTail.com
2. Rainbow Straws
This craft couldn’t get any easier and requires just straws and scissors. Have your child practice cutting through a thicker medium, which is the plastic of the straws. What a great activity to enhance fine motor skill and hand muscles.
FrogsAndSnailsAndPuppyDogTail.com has this activity and many more, perfect for young children.
Source: ModernPreschool.com
3. Scissors and Play Dough
A GREAT way to introduce scissors to your young kids is to practice on play dough. Contrary to what you think, cutting through thicker mediums is actually easier for young kids, as opposed to thinner papers like tissue paper. The thicker the paper or item, the easier it is to hold and it won’t move around a lot when cutting. Take some play dough and set the kiddos on a cutting spree. They will LOVE it!
ModernPreschool.com has this idea and a few more on teaching your kids the benefits of scissor skills!