Cutting - Page 4 of 17

Fringe Card Weave

Steps:

Fold one index card in half lengthwise (hot dog style).
Use markers to draw several short, straight lines along the folded edge. Stop the lines about one inch before the open card edges.
Hold the card steady with one hand. Carefully cut along each marker line to create a dense fringe.
Unfold the card to reveal the long, cut strips. Put a small dab of glue on one end of the yarn.
Challenge your child to weave the yarn horizontally across the fringe strips. Go under one strip, then over the next strip, and repeat.
Continue weaving until the entire fringe is connected by the colorful yarn. Secure the final end with another dab of glue.

Safety Tip:
Scissors and yarn require direct adult supervision. Ensure the child uses child-safe scissors and monitors closely to prevent accidental ingestion of small paper snips or pieces of yarn, which pose a choking hazard.

Paper Roll Snip Monster

Steps:

Use markers to color the entire outside surface of the paper roll (toilet paper or paper towel size) with bright colors. Encourage using both hands to stabilize the roll while coloring.
An adult should draw several straight lines (about 1 inch long) around the bottom edge of the roll, spaced about a quarter-inch apart. These are the guides for snipping.
Encourage your child to use their non-dominant hand firmly inside the roll to keep it steady (proximal stability) while using the scissors to carefully snip along each marked line.
Once the bottom is fully snipped, gently bend the strips outward to create a fringe (the ‘legs’ or ‘wiggly hair’).
Finish the craft by gluing two wiggle eyes onto the top section of the roll to complete your Paper Roll Snip Monster!

Safety Tip:
Always provide direct adult supervision when using scissors. Ensure that any small pieces, such as wiggle eyes, are properly glued or immediately removed from the workspace to prevent choking in children under 5.

Flying Unicorn

Step 1: Cut out a picture of a unicorn.

Step 2: Glue it on a paper plate.

Step 3: Hole punch around the edges of the plate.

Step 4: Lace string through each hole, and tie a knot to secure it in place.

Step 5: Option to curl the strings, add jewels, or color the unicorn for more fine motor opportunities.

Step 6: Watch the strands fly in the air as you spin & wave it around! Enjoy!

“The Claw”

Preparation:

Take an empty cardboard box (with openings that create handles), and insert a gift wrapping paper tube through the openings.
Tape a long piece of yarn to the gift wrapping paper tube.
Draw a Toy Story Alien & cut it out.
Tape the alien to the other end of the yarn.

Play:

Have the child place both hands toward the ends of gift wrapping paper tube (“The Claw”), to reel in the alien.

Instruct the child to use alternating hands, or both hands at the same time.

To add a challenge, have the child use their non-dominant hand, create a longer line of yarn, or add resistance.

To add resistance, draw and cut out an alien on 2 pieces of paper, place beans on one paper, then staple the other paper on top to seal the beans inside.

Cooking French Fries

Step 1: Draw straight lines across yellow/orange/brown construction paper. Use markers that draw thicker, darker lines.

Step 2: Fold paper in half, so that the marked lines are visible.

Step 3: Cut along the folded part (down the middle of the page).

Step 4: Cut along the marked lines.

Step 5: Place “french fries” in a container.

Step 6: Add shredded paper for an added effect.

Step 7: Toss with tongs.

Step 8: Enjoy!

Tips:

Warm-up with hand strengthening activities, such as playing with PlayDoh or slime.
Using appropriate-sized scissors and snipping along thicker paper (such as construction paper or card stock) is a good place to start. Once they have reached that skill, we can progress to more challenging tasks, such as cutting along a 6-inch line.
If needed, assist the child’s hand in stabilizing the paper.
Explore adaptive scissors, as needed.