Scissor skills development

Scissor skills play a large role in the fine motor development of a child.

Often a child is using muscles not used before or still developing.

Therefore it may take some time and practice for a child to develop their scissor skills.

A 3 or 4 year old child may have developing scissor skills and be able to use small child sized scissors, however, scissor skills are not fully developed until 6 years of age.

Learning to use scissors requires fine motor skills and coordination.

Cutting requires a child to use two sides of their body at the one time.

Cutting can be quite a complex task for a child.

It takes time and practice to learn how to use scissors correctly, however, there a many exercises and experiences that can promote scissor skills and further aid the fine motor development and scissor skills success.

A child needs to have developed some skills to be able to use scissors properly. These pre-scissor skills assist in the development of the muscles in the hand which promote development and the skills required to write, draw, pick up small objects, tie shoe laces, etc.

Establishing scissor skills promote the ability to succeed in these other skills and tasks.

A child learns through play and repetition. Having access to continual opportunities to play and practice is the foundation to the development of all skills for a child including scissor skills.

A child requires a good, safe and size appropriate pair of scissors to succeed in practicing and learning scissor skills.

The correct scissors for a child can impact their ability to master scissor skills over time.

There are a variety of scissors – scissors with one hole for thumb and a larger hole for a few fingers or  Easy grip or spring scissors which open on their own after every snip and the child grips with their whole hand, and left handed scissors.

There are some key point to remember when choosing scissors correctly for a child.

• Always provide left handed scissors for a left handed child. Right handed scissors are not the same and can hinder the child’s ability to cut.
• Scissors need to be sharp enough that they can cut.
• Scissors with rounded ends rather than sharp ends.
• Scissors with tiny oval handles generally are the ones that are the easiest to use for the majority of children.
• Short bladed scissors will give the better cut for the child.
• Choose the size of scissor to match the size of the child.

In order for a child to be able to learn scissor skills they need to have developed the muscles in their hands.

There are several activities that can promote the development of the muscles used when using scissors.

This is not an exhaustive list rather a list to offer suggestions on the the types of activities that facilitates the development ready for scissor development.

• Tear or ripping paper builds hand coordination.
• Painting using small items such as cotton buds, eye droppers, etc that promote fine motor control, coordination and hand-eye coordination.
• Kneading or manipulating play dough will build strength and coordination.
• Hole punching paper builds strength in the hand muscles.
• Trigger spray bottle or squeeze bottle painting builds hand strength.
• Demonstrate scissor safety.

A child needs to have developed some muscles in their hands to be able to attempt to use scissors correctly. If they have not developed these muscles then it will be more challenging an exercise.

Additionally, a child should ideally possess the following skills:

• Hand strength.
• Eye-hand coordination.
• Bilateral coordination. This is the ability to be able to coordinate both sides of the body simultaneously.
• Open and close the hand and grasp and release objects voluntarily.
• Use the hands together in a leading and helping way. The leading hand holds the scissors & makes cutting movements, the helping hand holds & manoeuvres the paper.
• Isolate or combine movements of the thumb, index and middle fingers, and to keep these fingers moving separately from the ring and little fingers.
• Coordinate arm, hand and eye movements towards an end goal.
• Good balance. The ability to be able to keep the joints in the wrist, elbow and shoulder stable, so that the scissors can be well controlled. Balance, seating and joint stability all contribute to this. Joint stability can be related to strength.
• Development of a preferred hand. Hand dominance should be visible. Cutting requires each hand to have a specific task.

Helping a child to learn the correct way to hold scissors from the beginning is recommended.

When a child is starting to learn to hold a pair of scissors there are some top tips that can help a child:

• Reinforce the hands position. A thumbs up approach often works well. Utilizing this technique reminds the child how to hold a pair of scissors and provides for consistent language.
• Guiding a child to put their index finger in front helps to give good scissor control. This grip also strengthens the same muscles needed for drawing and writing.
• Remind them to keep their thumb facing up.
• Making a coloured tag or something that helps a child to identify where to place their thumb. It is best to remain consistent with the tag being on the thumb slot as it places the focus on the thumb which with the thumbs up techniques means the child only has to think of one element.
• To support a child in remaining in the correct position when they are cutting you can get them to hold a beanbag between their elbow and side whilst they practice cutting.

• Hand strength and dexterity.
• Social integration.
• Sequencing.
• Hand eye coordination.
• Attention.
• Postural stability.