Learning scissor skills: how to cut straight lines with a pair of scissors is a very important skill for kids. We have found our favorite scissor activities that you can do with your preschool, pre-K and Kindergarten child. Use these scissor skill activities at home or in the classroom.
Scissor Exercises For Preschool and Kindergarten
Learning how to use scissors can be a slightly frustrating process, as it’s a new but essential skill that kids are just getting familiar with, and let’s face it: cutting paper can be tricky. Kids need to learn how to hold the scissors in the right position, strengthen their hand muscles and hand-eye coordination, among many other things.
Related: Cut and paste activities
In other words good scissor skills mean lots and lots of practice! Luckily, there are many things you can do to help your kiddo do to gain scissor skills even before they enter kindergarten. We looked for the best scissor practice activities to help your little one improve their scissors skills in a fun way.
Best Scissor Skills Printables
1. Strengthen Scissor Skills With Fun Summer Cutting Cards
It’s easy to strengthen your kiddo’s little hands with these summer cutting cards! Simply download the free printable for nice fine motor activities. From Teaching 2 and 3 year olds.
2. Star Scissor Practice Printable Cards
These star scissor practice sheets are a great addition to your scissor activities. They are small so that they will fit more easily in young preschoolers’ hands and are a great way to build fine motor skills. From Teaching 2 and 3 year olds.
Related: Use our easy printable mazes as a scissor maze
3. Printable Preschool Cutting Busy Box
This printable preschool cutting busy box is a great introduction to cutting for preschoolers and young kids. This is a preschool cutting activity for 3-year-olds and up, and you’ll only need colored cardstock, preschool scissors, and an organizer box. From Fun With Mama.
4. Cutting Lines
Cutting lines is one of the best creative ways to build hand strength and improve hand-eye coordination. And that’s exactly what this activity does! This activity will also prepare small hands for future pencil grip when ready to write. From Days with Grey.
Scissor Skills Activities
5. Make a Sun Scissor Skills Activity
If your preschoolers are ready to start learning scissor skills, then this Make A Sun scissor skills activity is the perfect starter project for them. Learning how to use scissors has never been more fun! From A Dab of Glue Will Do.
6. Rainbow Straw Scissor Skills
This activity from Frogs And Snails And Puppy Dogtail only requires straws and scissors. It’s one of those activities that are super easy to set up but still loads of fun for kids.
7. Paper Bag Haircuts: A Cute Scissor Skills Activity
Here’s a super fun activity for your little one and you only need paper bags, pens, and a pair of scissors. It’s called paper bag haircuts and kids will have so much fun creating different original haircuts, guaranteed. From Crafts On Sea.
Preschool Scissor Practice Made Fun
8. Magazine Shape Hunt and Sort
This activity from Fun Learning For Kids is simply awesome. Kids will learn different shapes while they practice cutting, gluing, and sorting. It’s also an awesome way to work on critical thinking and observation skills.
9. Scissor Skills Activity for Kids
This activity is perfect for 4-year-olds and up, as not only are they having fun but working on fine motor muscles to improve their skills with scissors. Besides, it uses play dough – and what kid doesn’t love play dough? From Frogs and Snails And Puppy Dogtail.
10. Spider Web Cutting Activity with Straws
This spider web cutting activity from Fun Learning For Kids is an excellent way to develop fine motor strength skills and scissor skills this fall! It’s also a neat craft to hang up and use a decoration.
Cutting Practice for Preschool & Kindergarten
11. Ginberbread Man Preschool Cutting Practice
Keep little hands busy with this simple gingerbread man preschool cutting practice activity from Schooltime Snippets. This activity encourages fine motor skills development and improves scissor skills, and it’s perfect for your preschooler.
12. Heart Scissor Skills Puzzles
Schooltime Snippets shared a great way to practice scissor skills with this broken hearts activity. You’ll need colored construction paper hearts with various types of lines to practice cutting. It’s time for some small snips!
Scissor Cutting Activities
13. Scissor Skills Spaghetti Sensory Bin
Who knew you could use spaghetti to improve scissor skills? This activity from Days with Grey is a great opportunity to explore cutting a new texture while doing a sensory play activity.
14. Make a Paper Salad & Practice Fine Motor and Scissor Skills
Let’s make a paper salad with this fun idea from Mosswood Connections. It’s a simple fine motor activity that is super easy to set up as you only need a bowl, construction and tissue paper, and scissors.
15. Scissor Practice Activity for Preschoolers- Cutting Practice Spider
This scissors practice activity for preschoolers is the perfect activity to explore different ways to use scissors. All you need is a toy spider, yarn, a cutting tray and scissors. From Laly Mom.
16. Cutting & Threading Practice with Straws
Make this cutting & threading practice activity is perfect for toddlers as young as 2 years old, although you can customize it for kids of any age. Get some colorful straws, scissors, lace, and a sponge with toothpicks. From Powerful Mothering.
17. Fun Fine Motor Leaf Cutting Activity for Fall
Let’s work on those fine motor skills with this leaf-cutting activity! It’s a great outdoor activity that will keep your little one engaged and wanting to continue for hours. From Hands On As We Grow.
18. Strengthening Scissor Skills with Play Dough
Learning to use scissors is hard, but it can be much easier when used with play dough instead. It’s soft and easy to cut, and basically, a perfect starting point. So give this activity from Mama Papa Bubba a try.
19. Learning scissor skills with jelly sensory play
We’re learning scissor skills with jelly sensory play. Yes, jelly! There will be a lot of cutting, squishing, squashing, and of course, lots of fun. From Nurture Store.
20. Lavender Cutting for Preschoolers
We love activities that are both useful and great fun for kids. For this one, we’re cutting lavender and making them intro fragrance bags. You can bet they smell delicious! From Teach Me Mommy.
Strengthening Exercises for Little Hands
21. Fine Motor Lantern Craft
This fine motor lantern craft is a great way to sneak in the fine motor strengthening, and it’s a creative way for kids to craft any season of the year. Plus they look great as home decor too. From The OT Toolbox.
Want more crafts for preschoolers?
Which scissor exercises do you want to try out first?