This cutting practice activity is a great way to work on scissor skills. Kids will enjoy cutting the ribbon into tiny pieces that can be used as confetti or filler for gift bags!
We are working on scissor skills lately because that is an area that Evan struggles in at this time. This activity was perfect for him because there was no pressure to cut along lines or around objects. He simply cut the ribbon up however he wanted. This eliminated any frustration he might have had. In return, it gave me the opportunity to give him pointers on how to hold the scissors correctly. He also had to work out how to hold the ribbon in one hand and the scissors in the other while correctly using the scissors in a way that would actually cut the ribbon.
He was highly motivated because he knew we were going to use it has gift bag filler for presents. He was actually very excited to contribute to making our presents even better! I am not kidding when I say that he made very noticeable improvement with scissor skills during this 15-20 minute activity!
Materials Needed: post contains affiliate links
Ribbon
Scissors – I love these Maped Koopy Spring Scissors for beginning scissor skills and especially kids who struggle with cutting. You can deactivate the spring and use them normally once your child improves.
Activity Details:
I started out by cutting off 10-12 inches of ribbon in several colors and giving him those to cut into small pieces. Eventually Evan just started cutting it off the roll by himself. I did have to correct his hold on the scissors several times, but I don’t make a big deal about it. I didn’t even mention it most times. I just move his fingers to the correct spot on the scissors and keep on talking to him as normal. This way I don’t discourage or frustrate him.
Activities like this are a great way to improve muscle memory in fingers and give your child the cutting practice they need to improve in this area. Evan was happy to work on cutting when he knew he was making our gift wrapping extra special!