Scissor Skills

How to Properly Hold Scissors

Always Remember the Three T’s:

1. TUCK– tuck your elbow by your side
2. TOP– keep you thumb on top
3. TABLE– 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

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• Play with squirt bottles/squirt toys

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• 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: