Balloon Haircut Day
- Play time:
- 10 to 15 minutes
- Setup:
- 10 minutes
- Where:
- Wall or easel
Why it helps
This fun game helps your child practice using scissors. Cutting yarn hair off a balloon requires steady hands. It teaches your child to use both hands together. One hand stays steady while the other snips. This builds the shoulder stability needed for writing. It also makes learning a big kid skill feel like play.
Steps
- Blow up a balloon and tie it securely.
- Draw a funny face on the balloon using markers.
- Cut several long pieces of yarn hair.
- Tape the yarn hair to the top of the balloon.
- Secure the balloon to a wall or door using masking tape at your child's chest height.
- Encourage your child to use safety scissors to trim the yarn hair.
Safety tip: Always supervise your child while they are using scissors. If the balloon pops, pick up the pieces immediately. Broken balloon pieces are a choking hazard.
Make it easier
- Make the hair from strips of construction paper, which are much easier to snip than yarn.
- Hold the end of each yarn strand tight for your child so the scissors have something firm to cut.
- Tape the balloon face to the table instead of the wall so your child can cut while sitting.
Make it harder
- Ask your child to give the balloon bangs by cutting the front strands shorter than the back.
- Wrap a small piece of tape around each strand as a marker and ask for the cut right at the tape.
- Trim every strand in order from left to right without skipping any.
What to watch for
- Notice whether your child's helper hand pulls the yarn tight while the cutting hand snips.
- Watch how your child's arm holds up while cutting at chest height. Short breaks can help if the arm starts to droop.
- If your child is worried about the balloon popping, swap it for a paper plate face taped to the wall.
Where this helps in daily life
Holding a strand tight with one hand while cutting with the other is the same teamwork kids use to cut string or ribbon for crafts and trim a piece of tape off the roll.
Need personalized support?
While these activities are great for home practice, nothing replaces the guidance of a licensed therapist. If you are in Irvine, CA or the Orange County area and have concerns about your child's Bilateral Hand Use, we invite you to connect with us.
Contact Tumble N' Dots Therapy →These activities are for home practice and don't replace the guidance of a licensed therapist.
