Tips for Teaching Kids to Use Scissors

Teaching a child how to cut with scissors can be incredibly scary. You’ll want to help your child learn the basics of scissor cutting. If your child is interested in cutting, then now may be a good time to start this process. Here are some tips to helping your child with this new stage in life.

Go Over Safety

Before a child even starts the process of cutting with scissors, you should go over safety concerns. Children should know the proper way to hold scissors and how to keep them closed when not in use. Go over what is to be cut and what is not to be cut. When you’re not watching, children will cut anything and everything, so make sure you’re on the lookout.

Model Scissor Cutting

When teaching a child how to cut with scissors it’s important to model how it’s properly done. Children watch by learning, so take a few minutes to show them how it’s done. Although scissor cutting comes easily to you as an adult, remember it takes kids a little while longer to catch on. Once the fine motor skills click in though, they’ll be cutting paper in no time.

The Right Type of Scissors

Children need the right type of scissors in order to be successful in cutting with scissors. There are child sized scissors available for kids, so feel free to have a little fun with the colors and texture. There are also child scissors that have blunt ends, so it’s a little safer for children to learn how to cut.

Righty or Lefty

There’s a different process in teaching lefties and righties how to cut with scissors. You may find that your child needs extra help with cutting. If that’s the case, there are scissors perfect for the left handed child. I had to buy a set when we discovered one of the twins is left-handed & they work great.

Practice Makes Perfect

Cutting with scissors does take practice and after your child practices for a while, they will get awesome at it. There may be some frustrating parts of teaching your child how to cut with scissors but for the most part if should be a natural part of teaching and learning. Have your child cut out a variety of shapes and lines. The only thing that will help them become better with scissor cutting it to make it a regular part of their routine.

What tricks have you used to help your child learn how to cut with scissors?