Scissor Skills with Paper Strips

Snipping strips of paper is one way for kids to practice using scissors that is less frustrating or overwhelming than working with a whole piece of paper. Today we made a paper leaf pile by snipping colored strips of paper.

I use colored pom-poms on the top of my scissors to remind kids where to put their thumbs, and to keep their thumb up as they cut. Every time they snip, they are developing the fine motor skills that will enable them to eventually cut more challenging projects with ease and confidence. As their muscle strength and coordination increases, using scissors will become an automatic skill.

We used our snippings to create simple fall tree collages. Picking up the small pieces of paper, pressing them into the glue sponge, and placing them on the collage also requires the use of fine motor skills.

When I plan projects like this, I always try to think beyond my adult-like tendency to focus on the final product. Sure, I want my students to create something that they are proud of. But my learning objectives almost always have to do more with the process than the product. In this case, I saw an opportunity to encourage different kinds of fine motor development with the creation of what some might see as just a simple fall tree.