Snip…snip away! It’s time for purposeful play.
As parents, we always want to find ways to support our children’s development and learning. One often overlooked but valuable skill for children to learn is cutting with scissors and knives. Not only does it help to develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination but it can also boost confidence and creativity.
Cutting with scissors and knives is an activity that requires focus, attention to detail, and coordination. For young children, it can be challenging at first, but with practice and guidance, they can quickly improve their skills.
Using scissors and knives also allows children to express their creativity. They can cut out different shapes, patterns, and designs, which can be used in various craft projects. This helps to develop their imagination and encourages them to think outside the box.
It’s important to note that safety should always be a top priority when using scissors and knives – never leave your child unsupervised. You can use safety scissors for younger children and teach proper knife handling techniques to older children.
We share some top tips on how to help your child to develop cutting skills.
HOW TO TEACH YOUR CHILD CUTTING SKILLS
Cutting with a knife
Start off by explaining to your child that they should never run with knives, they need to understand that it’s a tool, not a toy. Use a plastic knife for safety and provide a a non-slip cutting board. You can pre-cut pieces into smaller sizes to make it easier for them to cut. For best control, teach them the hold their hand all the way to the top of the handle where the blade and handle meet. Hold their hands steady and start off by cutting soft foods like banana and cucumbers together. You can use words like “chop-chop” as you teach them to push down and add extra pressure to get through the food.
Cutting with a scissor
Use safety scissors and teach your child to sit still whenever cutting. If they need to walk with a scissor, teach them to always hold the blades down when walking. Start off by teaching them the open-and-close motion before they cut. Encourage your children to point their thumb up when they cut. Sometimes kids need a little reminder…a visual or verbal cue, you can compare the scissor to a crocodile’s head and tell your child that the crocodile needs to open its mouth – meaning they need to open their hands to allow the scissor to start opening and closing. You can add googly eyes to the outside of the scissor’s thumb loop to encourage your child to hold scissors correctly. Start them off with something simple and ask them to cut fringe-like cuts into a thicker piece of paper rather than a thin piece of paper. This is a great way to develop their cutting skills before moving on to drawing lines on paper and asking children to cut along the lines.
Teaching cutting techniques with Farm World friends
Once your child has mastered cutting fringe-like cuts in thicker paper, you can teach them to cut out images. Simply take your Farm World Fruit Strings box and fold the box open and lay it flat. Next, encourage your child to cut out the Farm World animal by cutting along the lines. This is an excellent way to start them off on a trickier cutting challenge. Be sure to reward their effort with a Farm World Snack to drive positive reinforcement.
By providing your child with the opportunity to learn and practice cutting skills, you are setting them up for success in the future.
Happy snipping!
Looking for more fun activities to boost purposeful play? Head on over to our blog for more inspiration.
Resources:
https://earlylearningideas.com/cutting-with-scissors/
https://happykidskitchen.com/teaching-knife-skills-to-toddlers-and-kids-safety-and-basics/