Scissors - Page 6 of 28

Felt Tapestry Push

Steps:

Adult Prep: Use scissors to cut 8 to 10 tight, narrow, horizontal slits into the felt sheet.
Secure the felt tightly onto the cardboard using masking tape on all edges. Tape the cardboard base firmly onto the table.
Take two pipe cleaners and twist them tightly together to create one stiff, thick ‘needle’ for threading.
Hold the cardboard base steady with your helper hand. Use a strong pincer grasp to pick up the end of the stiff pipe cleaner needle.
Challenge your child to thread the pipe cleaner straight through one tight felt slit. Push it completely through, feeling the resistance of the fabric.
Continue threading the pipe cleaner into the remaining slits, creating a dense, woven tapestry pattern across the felt surface.

Safety Tip:
Constant adult supervision is required. Pipe cleaners are small materials and pose a potential choking hazard for young children. Ensure all materials are used only as intended.

Precision Tube Drop

Steps:

Adult Prep: Cut a 4-inch wide strip from the foam sheet. Roll the strip tightly to create a narrow, stable tube, securing the seam firmly with masking tape.
Secure the bottom of the foam tube vertically onto the construction paper using plenty of masking tape. The paper acts as a base.
Place the sticks in the container next to the base. Ask your child to sit stably and use their helper hand to hold the base firmly.
Challenge your child to pick up one craft stick using a neat pincer grasp (thumb and pointer finger).
Encourage them to aim carefully and drop the stick straight down through the narrow opening of the foam tube without touching the sides.
Repeat this precision task until all the craft sticks have been successfully dropped into the tube.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Craft sticks are small items and pose a potential choking hazard for children who still place objects in their mouths.

Foam Fortress Cut

Steps:

Draw several thick, straight lines or simple shapes (like squares and rectangles) onto the foam sheets using markers.
Help your child position the foam on a stable table. Encourage them to hold the foam firmly with their non-dominant hand to keep it from slipping.
Challenge the child to cut along the drawn lines using child-safe scissors. Cutting through the thick foam requires a strong, sustained squeeze.
Once all the foam pieces are cut, choose two pieces and align their edges. Push them firmly together to connect them and create a small structure.
Continue connecting the foam pieces by pushing their edges together until the entire ‘fortress’ or structure is complete. Try to make it as tall as possible.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Ensure the child uses age-appropriate scissors safely and monitors the position of their helper hand, keeping fingers away from the cutting path.

Resistant Card Weave Pull

Steps:

Ask an adult to cut 8 to 10 index cards into thick, uniform strips (about 1 inch wide).
Weave the strips together tightly in an over-under checkerboard pattern to create a square ‘mat’.
An adult should securely wrap masking tape around the entire perimeter of the woven square. Wrap the tape tightly to keep the weave stable and add resistance.
Place the finished woven card square flat on a stable table. Challenge your child to hold the square firmly steady with their non-dominant hand (the helper hand).
Encourage your child to use their working hand to grasp the edge of one woven strip and pull it straight out of the resistant tape frame.
The pulling requires strong, controlled force. Continue pulling the strips free until the entire woven piece has been unraveled. Drop the rescued strips into the container.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Adults should handle the scissors during preparation. Ensure the child remains seated stably when performing the strong pulling motions.

Tension Tube Push

Steps:

First, an adult should use the scissors to cut 5 to 7 short, tight slits (about 1 inch long) across the surface of the paper roll.
Help your child take a large piece of playdough and push it firmly into the center of the paper roll. The playdough should be dense and resistant, covering the slits from the inside.
Place the paper roll on a table. Challenge your child to hold the paper roll steady with their helper hand to prevent it from moving while pushing.
Pick up a pipe cleaner from the container. Encourage your child to aim the pipe cleaner tip at one of the narrow slits.
Use a strong, steady push to insert the pipe cleaner completely through the slit and into the resistant playdough core. The playdough holds it in place.
Continue pushing the pipe cleaners into all the slots until the entire ‘tension tube’ is full. Then, try pulling them out for an extra workout!

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Pipe cleaners and pieces of playdough are small objects and pose a potential choking hazard for children under five. Ensure the child only pushes the pipe cleaners into the designated tube.