Scissor skills can improve with spaghetti! Trust me. Scissor skills spaghetti sensory play is the bomb.
Isn’t that funny? How can scissor skills spaghetti sensory play help?
Cutting spaghetti will stimulate the senses and provide a great opportunity to explore cutting a new texture. It’s not only brilliant; it’s FUN!
RELATED: Did you know that scissor skills are also related to pencil grip? Find out why and how HERE!
It all started with a note in my preschooler’s backpack, and some leftover spaghetti.
“Please practice cutting at home with your preschooler.
This is a common note placed in preschooler’s backpacks to help improve scissor skills.
Preschool teachers know that the more we practice at home, the more prepared children will be for school. – The BIG school. As in, Kindergarten.
We want to send our children off to Kindergarten with fine motor skills such as scissor skills under their belt so they can then focus more attention on the more complex skills.
This is just one of the reasons why we keep scissors in our art cart.
I can hear you over world wide web screaming, you do what?! You keep scissors where they can have unlimited access?! This Days with Grey lady must be crazy!
So although I may be crazy about some things, improving scissor skills is not one of them.
The more I allow my boys to have access to scissors, the more comfortable they become on how to handle them. Even my two-year-old is allowed access to the scissors to become familiar with how they feel in his hands. If you aren’t quite ready for your toddle to cut, you can begin with these terrific toddler activities.
RELATED: Don’t miss out on these 50+ fine motor activities!
How does keeping scissors accessible help?!
The trick is to begin by guiding your preschooler along. Just like other fine motor activities, it takes time for strength and momentum to build.
Scissor skill tips:
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Show your child how to hold scissors.
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Remind your child that when we hold scissors we are aware of what and who is around us.
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Model how to hold scissors for your child.
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Placing a small sticker on your child’s thumb will remind them where to place the thumb when cutting.
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Remind your child that we “only cut paper” – Unless of course your child is on this particular activity. ? Then make spaghetti the exception to the rule.
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Remind children that scissor skills improve over time. The best way to get there is to practice!
Starting with scissors can be just like beginning to explore sensory play. LEARN MORE HERE.
Scissor skills improve with practice.
Just like riding a bike, or holding a pencil, scissor skills improve over time.
Sometimes practice can be as simple as cutting dotted lines as you see HERE, and other times, it can be something different like cutting flowers HERE!
For this scissor skill activity, I am inviting my preschooler to come cut the spaghetti.
Just like our favorite toddler toys, this supply list is timeless and open-ended for years of play.
Simple supply list:
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Spaghetti
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Scissors – these are the scissors we have always used with all three boys
Add some holiday interests!
You can even add objects into your spaghetti scissor practice to make a holiday or seasonal activity. Here, we added eyeballs to add anticipation for Halloween and called it, Spaghetti and Eyeballs.
This makes a great Breakfast Invitation!
Find the eyeballs on Amazon below:
Scissor practice can be fun!
When will you have your preschooler cut spaghetti?
