Materials Needed

• Scrapbook Patterned Paper or Other Selected Paper
• Child Scissors
• Envelope
• Work Tray

Presentation and Activity:

Hold the the scissors in the dominant hand with the thumb on the top. Next, hold the paper in the other hand. Make slow and precise cuts by fully opening and closing the scissors. This provides a straight cut in a line. Practice this skill by cutting out pictures from the patterned paper. The paper cuttings can be put into the envelope to keep.

Extension 1

The activity can be completed as shown above but instead of placing the paper cuttings in the envelope, incorporate gluing skills. This is another important skill. Be sure to demonstrate how much glue is appropriate and how to smear it over the back of the paper cutting so that it sticks to the paper.

Create new reasons to cut by providing children’s wildlife magazines or age appropriate magazines that will have pictures the children will enjoy cutting out and keeping.

Each of the cutting skill activities is a good shelf activity for children who have demonstrated they can appropriately use scissors. For younger children who have not mastered scissors or may cut inappropriate things with those scissors, this should be a carefully supervised activity.