How to Properly Hold Scissors

Always Remember the Three Tâs:
- TUCKâ tuck your elbow by your side
- TOPâ keep you thumb on top
- TABLEâ always cut towards the table and away from you
Scissor skills develop in a sequence:
- Holds scissors (1.5-2 years old): usually held with two hands
- Open/Close scissors (2-2.5 Years old): Not ready to use with paper but possibly play dough or clay
- Random snipping (2-2.5 years old): Can now cut on paper in a random pattern
- Controlled snipping (3 years old): cutting in a forward motion with paper
- Cutting straight lines (3-3.5 years old): kids now start using their “helper hand” to hold paper and cut at the same time.
- Cutting curved lines (4 years old)
- Cutting simple shapes (4.5-5 years old)
Activities to encourage scissor skills:
- Tearing paper: Try tearing paper and glueing the pieces on a different sheet of paper to make a picture
- Play with squirt bottles/squirt toys
- Use a single hole punch
Other Scissor Cutting Activities:
- Snipping Sammy: Grab an old toilet paper or paper towel roll. Give Sammy a haircut

- Snip & write: Have your child write their name (nice and big). Snip paper and glue on each piece to cover their name.


- Click the downloads below for more advanced cutting skill activities: