Skill: Cutting

Learning to hold scissors correctly and guide them along a line while holding the paper steady with the other hand. This combines hand strength with coordination.

Ice Cream Scooper

Use brown, yellow, or white construction paper. Draw a 1/4 of a circle with a six-inch radius, and ask the child to cut the shape out. If needed, make the line bolder to increase accuracy. If using white paper, you can let the child color/paint it in any color he wishes to.

Assist the child as needed to fold the 1/4 circle into a cone shape. Secure with tape.

Provide the child with tissue paper sheets that are at least 5″ x 7″ in size. Instruct the child to crumble each sheet into a ball (scoop), and place it in the container.

Have the child hold the ice cream scoop in his dominant hand and the cone in his other hand. Instruct the child to scoop the paper balls one at a time, using the ice cream scoop, and put it into the cone.

Using strips of construction paper in different colors, ask the child to tear small pieces to use as sprinkles. Promote pincer grasp by having the child pick up one piece at a time to sprinkle on his ice cream.

To grade the activity, use different ice cream scoops (i.e. with the thumb lever, spring-loaded handle, etc.) or other materials for ice cream, such as pom-poms or play-dough.

Clip the Kites

Use different colors construction paper, and draw 4-5 diamonds, about 4×6 inches in size.

Instruct the child to cut out the diamond shapes. If the child has difficulties with cutting, we recommend providing thicker lines to cut on.

Using the crayons, let the child decorate the kites.

Have the child write any number between 1-10 on each kite. If the child is unable to write numbers independently, provide assistance as needed (i.e. write the numbers for him and let him trace them).

Using the paper clips, instruct the child to clip together a chain of paper clips with the corresponding number of paper clips to the number written on the kite.

Once the right number of paper clips are clipped together, have the child match the chain with the corresponding kite.

Cut Me a Slice

This is a fun way to help you child prepare his favorite pizza.

On the paper plate, draw a horizontal line and a vertical line, in such a way that you divide it into 4 equal parts (just like you would slice a pizza pie). Use green, red, yellow and brown construction papers to draw different shapes such as rectangles (for pepper), curved lines( for cheese), circles (for pepperoni), etc.

Ask the child to first cut the plate, following the lines you drew on it. Instruct the child to color each quarter in red (using a crayon, a marker, or a colored pencil). Then, provide the child with the different shapes you drew on the construction papers and ask him to cut these shapes following the lines. Let the child glue the different shapes on the paper plate quarters based on what he would like to have on his pizza.

Fall Leaves

Use a brown construction paper and draw a rectangle to be used as the tree’s trunk.

Let the child cut out the rectangle to promote visual motor skills.

Ask the child to glue the brown rectangle on piece of white construction paper.

Using the crayons or markers, have the child draw a few branches coming out of the trunk of the tree on the white construction paper.

Instruct the child to mark a few dots using the glue on each branch.

Place some leaves on the table on the child’s non dominant side.

Provide the child with tweezers or tongs and have him catch one leaf at a time and move across the midline to place it on top of a glue dots.

Repeat until all leaves are glued on the tree.

Wind Sock

Cut tissue paper into 1-inch strips.

Using the markers color the crafts sticks.

Glue the crafts onto the toilet paper roll.

Glue tissue paper onto the inside of the toilet paper roll.

On the opposite end of the toilet paper roll, attach a string using tape to the inside.