SCISSOR SKILL FOR BEGINNERS
The one question that is very common when it comes to giving a scissor to a toddler is : “At what age” – You can give scissors to a child who is 1.5 years old and above. Between the ages of 1.5 to 2 years old, a child learns to hold scissors, often using both hands, to open and close the blades – This is the phase where the child learns to hold the scissors.
There are some things that the child needs to experiment with in order to know how to use it – The scissors is one such thing. You definitely need to show the child how to use it, but again they take their time to analyse and start using it on their own..
What the child tries to understand ?
- how to hold the scissors in the right position
- Which fingers to use (they need some muscle strength)
- how to use the muscle strength in the closing and opening of the scissors.
The process might frustrate the child if you give a paper and expect them to learn to use it. Instead of paper go with play dough.
Why play dough and not paper ?
- Handling a paper and using the scissor can be tricky for a child who is still trying to learn to control the scissors. The paper needs to be held tight and the child needs to cut through the paper which is not easy for them to start with.
- A play dough helps them in learning to get control over the scissors, the added difficulty of handling the paper is not required.
Important : Use only child safe scissors and supervision all time is a must.
