Scissor Skills Worksheets

Why cutting practice helps

Cutting looks simple, but it asks a lot of a small hand. One hand holds and turns the paper while the other opens and closes the scissors, and the eyes follow the line the whole time. Regular practice builds the small muscles of the hand and trains hand-eye coordination and the habit of using two hands for different jobs. Those are the same skills a child draws on later to hold a pencil and write.

How to use the generator

1. Choose a worksheet type: cutting lines, shapes or pictures.
2. For lines, pick the kinds you want. For shapes, choose from circles, squares, triangles and more, including a spiral. For pictures, choose one or more picture groups.
3. Choose how many items go on a page. Fewer items means bigger lines and shapes, which are easier for beginners.
4. Press Generate new worksheet, then print the sheet or save it as a PDF. Every sheet is different.

The line types

• Snips are short lines across a strip of paper. They are the very first cutting skill: one open-and-close of the scissors makes one cut.
• Straight lines teach the child to open, close and move the scissors forward in a steady rhythm.
• Zigzag lines add sharp turns, so the child learns to turn the paper rather than the scissors.
• Wavy and curvy lines ask for smooth, flowing control.
• Steps have square corners and are a good challenge for older children.

Each line starts at a green dot, and a red square marks where it ends. In the picture version, the line leads from one picture to a related one, such as a bee to a flower, which gives the cutting a small goal.

A simple order to follow

Children differ a lot, so treat these ages as a rough guide only. Many children start with snipping around two to three years old, then cut along straight lines, then curves and zigzags. Cutting out simple shapes such as circles and squares usually comes next, and shapes with corners and curves, like hearts and stars, are harder. Move on when the current step feels easy and fun, not when a particular birthday arrives.

Tips for parents and teachers

• Use child-sized scissors with rounded tips. Left-handed children need left-handed scissors, because ordinary ones are hard to cut with and hide the line.
• Show the “thumbs up” hold: thumb in the small loop, one or two fingers in the big loop, thumb pointing to the ceiling.
• Remind the child that the helper hand holds the paper, and that the paper moves, not just the scissors.
• Slightly thicker paper is easier to cut than very thin paper, but ordinary printer paper works well too.
• Keep sessions short, praise effort and always supervise young children with scissors.

If a child finds cutting very hard or becomes frustrated after plenty of gentle practice, mention it to their teacher or doctor. They can suggest more help, such as an occupational therapist.