The stages before holding the scissors (Fine motor skills development)

Have you ever wondered why some children struggle when it comes to holding the scissors? This may occur because the child's hand muscles are not fully in control of the scissors, and yet needs further development.
Children's fine motor skill (hand-related strengths) requires the correct (and a strong) grip, well developed muscles, and enough control.

Building strong motor skills requires a little more patience than pushing the child to hold the scissors/pencil/writing or drawing tool. It also needs consistency in the practices. Here are some activities that can be tried with the young ones in order to promote them for a correct scissors grip:

A. Activities to promote stronger fine motor skills (for stronger hand muscles):

• Play dough: squeezing and stretching of play dough can help strengthen the hands' muscles of children. Help them build something out of play dough, or let them copy a pattern they're seeing.

• Hole punching: Draw a straight line on a paper/construction paper/soft foam sheet (a curve for a more advance level), and using a single hole puncher, allow your child to hole punch across the line(s). Later on, they can use the little paper punched in crafts.
• Shape punching: This is exactly like the previous activity discussed, however this time with shape punchers. These are great for creating patterns later on, or decorating their own crafts and projects by sticking the cutouts.

• Lacing: This is an amazing activity for developing a better hand control. I personally use colored pasta (I color them at home) and yarn or plastic strings. Children have lots of fun creating their own pasta patterns, creating necklaces, or even counting.

• Pegs play: Pegs is another great technique for promoting stronger hand muscles. You can help your child create fences around paper with the pegs, or help them to hang small sized clothes like a sock, or a small under shirt. In the picture, we were using pegs to sort pompoms according to size.

• Squeezy Bottles: For a more messy play, you can fill some squeezy plastic bottles with different colors of paint, and children can paint by squeezing the bottles. They can trace lines, or create patterns with squeezed paint.

B. Now that the fun is over, time to get more serious (using the scissors):

• Children start by tearing the paper in little pieces. This is done during play. (more for toddlers than preschoolers).
• Help your child to hold the scissors with the correct grip. Always remind them to open their thumb, placing it on top.
• They will tend to make single snips (random cuts creating little cutouts) randomly.
• Encourage them to hold the paper while snipping. Always remind them that their thumb should always be on top.
• The next stage is that they will cut across the paper. When they reach this stage, start by giving them narrow strips of paper, then go wider as they start mastering it.

• Children will then start cutting across a straight line. I usually place stickers on top of the paper, drawing straight lines down the paper where the children will cut across, reaching the sticker on top of each line.

• Zigzag lines come next. Children will cut across them, but start with wider zigzags, then narrow them down bit by it.

Wide zigzags (easier)

Narrow zigzags (harder)

• Children will then cut along a curved line. Start with wider curves, then narrow them down in size as they start mastering the skill.

• As a harder stage, children will start cutting around basic shapes. Start with bigger versions.

Remember that every child develops, and learns at his/her own pace. Don't rush them. 

Download the scissors skills pack free resource.