Scissor Cutting Skills

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Scissor cutting is an important fine motor skill, which can help lay the foundation for good pencil control. When your child is holding the scissors correctly, then cutting out will help strengthen your child's hand muscles, particularly the muscles that will be used for handwriting.

Cutting out a shape involves bilateral coordination between the hand holding the scissors and the hand holding the paper. In addition, your child needs to visually focus on the line in order to guide the hands, and also needs to plan how to get the scissors in and out of corners.

So as you can see, helping your child learn to cut with scissors is a very important part of his/her development!

all of OT Mom's scissor cutting pages - full of info, tips and activities

Getting Started: First Steps In Learning to Cut

If your child is still very young, and/or has no clue how to cut out, then these articles are the best place for you to start.

I created a three-part series to help preschoolers master scissor cutting skills:

  • Part 1 will help your child master the grasp-release motion of the scissors
  • Part 2 will help your child master the art of cutting along a line
  • Part 3 gives you lots of super simple ideas for cutting activities to help your child
Part 1: teach your child how to use scissorsHow To Use Scissors
Part 2: teach your child how to cut along the lineHow To Cut Along The Line
Part 3: practice with simple activitiesSimple Cutting Practice

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Practicing Scissor Skills: More Tips

When your child holds scissors with the correct scissor grasp, the hand and finger muscles will be strengthened and get lots of fine motor practice. Read my page to find out more, including how to hold scissors with different kinds of holes.

Is your child left-handed? Are you wondering whether you really need to get a pair of left-handed scissors for kids? Read on to find out how true left-handed scissors can help your child.

How to hold scissors correctly, and why the correct grasp is importantHow To Hold Scissors Correctly
left-handed scissors for kids - how they differ from right-handed scissorsAll About Left Handed Scissors

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Printable Scissor Cutting Activities

These lovely printable resources provide printable cutting sheets and photographed instructions to help your child make something specific - no more piles of cut up worksheets!

All of these fun cutting activities for kids have a tangible end product, to help your child grow in confidence and master cutting with scissors

Scissor cutting activities printable packMy Cutting Printables Pack
Christmas scissor cutting activities printable packChristmas Printables Pack
A variety of scissor cutting printables for kids with lovely end productsMore Advanced Printables

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What Other Skills Help With Scissor Cutting?

When your child is cutting out with scissors, one hand is making the scissors open and close, while the other hand is holding the paper. It gets more complicated when your child has to cut out a shape - then the assistant hand needs to turn the paper around while the other hand cuts!

Your child needs good bilateral coordination skills in order to get the scissors and paper working together, and for this reason, I often recommend bilateral coordination activities to help kids build this skill.

In addition, your child needs to visually focus on the line to help make the scissors stay on the line. Eye-hand coordination activities and visual motor integration activities can help with this skill.

If your child is squinting, rubbing the eyes, or has watering eyes while focusing on a cutting task, please consult a behavioral optometrist.

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More Resources

 - Left Handed Scissors

If you are looking for true left handed scissors for kids in your home or class, then I have linked to a few on Amazon for your convenience. These are similar to ones I use myself. (Read my articles to find out how left-handed scissors differ from right handed scissors, and why left-handed scissors are a thing!)


 - Right Handed Support Scissors

Sadly, I am yet to find support scissors for lefties, which is very frustrating. If you come across any, please do let me know! But until then, here are some support scissors on Amazon that can be helpful to right handed kids who are new to cutting or struggling with the cutting motion. (Don't forget to read my page of tips to help your child master the grasp-release motion)


 - Printable Downloads

If you found these pages helpful, you can download all of this plus MUCH more in my 33 page Scissor Skills E-book.

This download will help answer your questions, and will give you step by step photographed activities to help your child master scissor skills.

Get the Bundle Deal with the Cutting Printables! 

printable resource to help your child with scissor skillsMy Scissor Skills Resource Pack

I hope you found this page of scissor cutting resources to be helpful!

Please do share with other parents and teachers - being able to cut with scissors is such an important fine motor skill!

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References

Mitchell, A. W., Hampton, C., Hanks, M., Miller, C., & Ray, N. (2012). Influence of task and tool characteristics on scissor skills in typical adults. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 66, e89–e97. https://dx.doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2012.004135

Ratcliffe, I., Concha, M. & Franzsen, D. (2007). Analysis of cutting skills in four and six year olds attending nursery schools in Johannesburg. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy. 37. 4-9.

Ratcliffe, I., Franzsen, D., & Bischof, F. (2010). Development of a scissors skills programme for grade 0 children in South Africa - A pilot study. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy. 41. 24-31.

Smith, Barbara A. MS, OTR/L. From Rattles to Writing – A Parent’s Guide to Hand Skills. 2011. Therapro Inc.

Help Your Child Master Scissors

Is your child struggling to cut neatly with scissors? 

Do you want to teach your preschooler how to cut with scissors but don't know where to start?

My 33 page Scissor Skills E-book will help answer your questions, and will give you step by step photographed activities to help your child master scissor skills.

My Fun Cutting Templates E-book gives you 19 different scissor cutting templates to enable your child to learn to cut on straight lines and then to cut out shapes. All the activities are photographed so you and your child can see what you are working towards!

View My Scissor Skills and Cutting Templates Bundle!

printable resource to help your child with scissor skillsInfo and tips to help your child learn to cut with scissors!
a wide variety of scissor cutting templates to challenge kids from preschool to early elementary19 different printable cutting templates!
scissor skills and cutting templates bundle deal

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OT Mom E-Books and Printable ResourcesPrintable Resources!
discounted bundle deals on OT Mom E-Book resourcesDiscounted Bundle Prices!
Printable Christmas-themed fine motor and visual perception resources!Christmas Printable Packs!
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