Pre-Cutting Activities

Strengthen your child's scissoring skills with some simple ideas:

1. The wooden clothespins (the kind that do NOT pinch open and sort of look like little soldiers) slide easily onto the lid of a container-oatmeal, frosting, box...make up a game?

2. Squeeze clothespins

3. Playdough, cutting playdough with scissors

4. Real clay with clay tools and hammers

5. Sort pom-poms or manipulatives

6. Finger plays, hand and finger puppets

7. Tear paper (torn paper collage)

8. Snip or fringe paper

To encourage proper grip on the scissors, make up a little tune and repeat this

Thumb on the top

Fingers on the bottom

Keep your elbow in

Clothespin Color Sort

This is a hit with the younger preschool crowd.

Plastic Tumblers set x 6, $1 @ Dollar Tree
Plastic Clothespins set x 15, $1 @ Dollar Tree

Opportunity for color sorting and fine motor development, priceless! Pile the clothespins and your child can pinch them open to attach to the right color of cup. Fine motor development helps your child strengthen finger and hand muscles, useful for learning to hold and manipulate writing utensils.

*Variation: Younger children can drop them into the cups.

*Variation: Go on a search around the house for items of each color that fit in the cup.

*Variation: Color with marker on wooden clothespins to match the color of cups you already have available. The more colors and cups you have, the more challenging it will be!