Step 1. Add one bear to each section of the muffin tin.

For this cutting activity, I wanted to add in some imaginary play. I told my toddler and preschooler that the bears were captured, and they needed his help!

Creating a fictional story will also engage conversation, build vocabulary, and inspire creativity. – Yes, please! Small prompts such as this can go a long way!

Grasping the small bears helps your child strengthen the small hand muscles used to play with clay, weave, and grab with tongs!

Step 2. Put painter’s tape in each direction to close in the bears.

You need to trap those bears, after all! Your toddler must apply some pressure to cut through the painter’s tape, but it’s not too challenging for little hands.

Step 3. Place scissors to the left of the cutting activity.

Placing the scissors on the left helps with left-to-right tracking, which your kids will need for reading and writing later in life. I then invited my toddler and preschooler to get to work.

Does your toddler ditch the scissors? That's age appropriate and using fingers to tear the tape helps encourage fine motor strength.