Scissors - Page 10 of 28

Slot Stuff Hedgehog

Steps:

Adult Prep: Use scissors to cut 8 to 10 short, narrow slits across the surface of the paper roll. These are the spine holes.
Decorate the roll using markers to give your hedgehog a cute face and body.
Tear the construction paper into many long, thin strips. Tearing wakes up finger and hand muscles.
Pick up the paper roll with your helper hand to keep it steady on the table.
Stuff one end of a paper strip into a spine hole using your dominant hand fingers.
Use a craft stick to gently push the paper strip completely inside the narrow slot. This requires precise force.
Continue stuffing paper spines into all the slots until your hedgehog is fully covered in soft spikes!

Safety Tip:
Adults must perform the scissor cutting for the narrow slots. Supervise closely to ensure small pieces of torn paper are not put in the mouth.

Fence Post Push

Steps:

Adult Prep: Use the scissors to cut several narrow, short slots (about 1-inch long) across the surface of the cardboard. Keep the slots tight to add resistance.
Set up the area by standing the cardboard vertically on a table. Place the craft sticks in the container next to the cardboard barrier.
Show your child how to use their ‘helper hand’ to hold and stabilize the cardboard fence, keeping it perfectly steady.
Using the working hand, pick up one craft stick at a time. Aim the stick at a slot and use a strong, controlled push to insert it through the cardboard.
Encourage your child to continue inserting sticks until the entire cardboard is full of colorful fence posts. Try pushing sticks into slots placed at different heights.

Safety Tip:
Adult supervision is required during the preparation phase when using scissors. Ensure the child sits stably at the table while performing the pushing action.

Cardboard Link Structures

Steps:

Use markers to draw several long strips (about 1 inch wide) onto a piece of firm cardboard. Draw a few simple shapes like squares or circles, too.
Encourage your child to use child-safe scissors to carefully cut along the marker lines. Cutting the thick cardboard requires a strong grasp and finger effort!
Adult Step: Take the cardboard strips and shapes. Cut 2-3 short, narrow slits (about 1/2 inch deep) into the edges of each piece. Ensure the slits are slightly wider than the cardboard thickness.
Challenge your child to connect the cardboard pieces by sliding the slits into each other. The goal is to build a tall, unique, free-standing structure by linking all the pieces.
Encourage your child to use one hand to hold the structure steady while the other hand works to push and maneuver the joining pieces into place.

Safety Tip:
Adult supervision is required during all cutting phases. For children under 5, ensure all small cardboard scraps are immediately collected and discarded, as they may pose a choking hazard.

Precision Button Drop

Steps:

Fold a piece of construction paper in half (hotdog style) to create a stand-up ‘Postbox’. Glue the edges shut.
Use scissors to cut a short, narrow slit (about 1.5 inches long) in the middle of the ‘Postbox’.
Place a pile of assorted buttons on the table next to the postbox.
Use a strong pincer grasp (thumb and index finger) to pick up one button.
Hold the paper box steady with your helper hand. Push the button into the narrow slot.
Try to fill the entire ‘Postbox’ with buttons!

Safety Tip:
Ensure the buttons are large enough not to be inhaled or swallowed. Always closely supervise the child, especially when using small manipulative objects and sharp tools like scissors.

Noodle Chop Sort

Steps:

Use markers to color strips of paper that match the colors of your pool noodle. Tape these colored strips onto two separate baskets to create sorting targets.
Give your child the pool noodle and a pair of safety scissors. Encourage them to hold the noodle firmly with their ‘helper hand’ to keep it steady.
Challenge your child to cut the pool noodle into small, thin ‘coins’ or ‘slices.’ Remind them to use strong, full squeezes of the scissors.
Once the noodle is completely chopped, ask your child to look at the color targets. Sort the colorful foam coins into the matching color baskets.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise closely when using scissors. Use child-safe scissors appropriate for their hand size. Since the age range includes younger preschoolers, ensure that cut noodle pieces are not placed in the mouth, as they can pose a choking hazard if ingested.