Scissors - OTPlan

Floating Noodle Squeezer

Steps:

Adult Step: Use your scissors to cut a pool noodle into thin round ‘donuts’ about one inch thick.
Fill a large container or plastic tub halfway with cool water and set it on a stable table.
Place all the colorful noodle rings into the water so they float freely.
Ask your child to hold the side of the container with their helper hand to stay steady.
Have your child reach into the water and grab a floating noodle ring with their other hand.
Challenge them to squeeze the ring as hard as they can to see the water spray out!
Tell them to drop the ‘rescued’ ring into a basket next to the tub.
Repeat until all the floating rings are safely in the basket.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during water play to prevent slips or spills. Pool noodle pieces are not for the mouth.

The Tilted Button Slider

Steps:

Use your markers to draw a winding path on a flat piece of cardboard.
An adult should use scissors to cut a narrow slot along the entire path.
Ensure the slot is wide enough for a button to slide but not fall through.
Place a single large button on the board at the starting line.
Ask your child to hold the cardboard steady with their non-dominant helper hand.
Have them use their dominant index finger to slide the button along the track.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play as buttons are a significant choking hazard.

The Vertical Pipe Cleaner Meadow

Steps:

Use markers to draw a bright green field of grass on your cardboard.
Use your scissors to snip five small, narrow slits across the top of the cardboard.
Use masking tape to secure the cardboard vertically to a wall at your child’s shoulder height.
Give your child several pipe cleaners to act as flower stems.
Ask them to hold the board with their helper hand while pushing a stem into a slit.
Use a pincer grasp to balance a colorful pom-pom on top of each fuzzy stem.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play. Pipe cleaners can have sharp metal ends, so tuck them in. Small pom-poms are a choking hazard.

The Ribbon-Linked Clip Path

Steps:

Use your markers to draw six colorful circles around the edge of a paper plate.
Assign a number from one to six inside each circle.
An adult should cut a long piece of ribbon about two feet long.
Ask your child to hold the paper plate steady with their helper hand.
Use the other hand to clip a clothespin onto circle number one.
Have your child thread the ribbon through the metal spring of the clothespin.
Move to circle number two and clip on the next clothespin.
Continue threading the ribbon through each clip in numerical order until the path is complete!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child while they are using scissors or small ribbons. Ensure the ribbon is not wrapped around fingers or the neck.

The Pincer Mask Maker

Steps:

Draw two large eye circles on a paper bag.
Help your child cut out the eyes.
Spread glue around the eyes.
Use a pincer grasp to pick up one bean at a time.
Press the beans into the glue to make eyebrows.
Add sequins for a sparkly nose.
Slide the bag over your head to reveal your new face!

Safety Tip:
Supervise your child closely while using scissors. Small beans and sequins can be a choking hazard. Keep all small parts away from the mouth.