Emily Chan
Cutting with scissors seems like one of the simpler skills a child can learn. But cutting involves a lot more than just knowing how to open and close a pair of scissors.
There are plenty of other skills that contribute to using scissors successfully, such as balance, stability, and hand-eye coordination.
It’s best to introduce kids to scissors early so they can practice utilizing them and strengthen their abilities.
A TikToker and pediatric occupational therapist named Gabriella (@gabriellatheot) is discussing what kind of scissor skills a child should have at different developmental stages.
At two to two and a half years old, a child learns how to open and close scissors. Once they have mastered that, they can try snipping a piece of paper.
They can make small, haphazard snips but do not expect them to be able to move forward on the paper with the scissors. That’s a more advanced skill they are not yet ready for.
Between ages three to three and a half is when they gain a little more control and begin to cut across the paper. They may also use their other hand to hold the paper while cutting with their dominant hand.
By the time a child hits three and a half or four years of age, they are able to cut in a straight line more neatly and accurately. Draw a thick line on some paper and have your child try to follow it with the scissors.
At four to four and a half, children are able to cut in a circle. And at four and a half to five, they are onto tackling square shapes.
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