Fine motor development plays a huge role in early childhood, especially during the preschool years. These small but powerful movements—using fingers, hands, and wrists—lay the foundation for everyday skills like writing, dressing, and self-care.
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One of my favourite (and most loved by children!) ways to support fine motor and pincer grip development is through scissor skills activities.
Learning Through Curiosity
Children are naturally curious by nature. In my classroom, I’ve often noticed children quietly watching me as I cut paper and prepare craft materials or organise activities. They’re fascinated by the process—how the scissors open and close, how paper changes shape, and how something new is created. That curiosity is such a beautiful starting point for learning.
One activity I’ve consistently done with children is practising scissor skills. It usually begins with learning how to hold the scissors correctly, positioning their fingers, and simply opening and closing them.
That very first successful cut—cutting a piece of paper independently—often comes with so much pride and excitement. Those moments are honestly some of the loveliest to witness as a teacher.
Building Confidence With Scissors
My current group of children have now grown confident in cutting random strips of paper. Once they reached this stage, I knew they were ready for a new challenge. That’s where I designed cutting template printables to help children move from free cutting to more controlled cutting.
These templates encourage children to follow a line while cutting, which is a big step in fine motor development. To make it extra engaging, I created a fun hair-cutting template. Children can colour the picture first and then pretend they’re hairdressers as they cut along the lines. It turns skill-building into imaginative play—and they absolutely love it!
A free printable is attached below so you can try this activity with your own children or classroom.
Benefits of Using Scissors in Early Childhood
Using scissors offers so many developmental benefits, including:
- Strengthening fine motor muscles in the hands and fingers
- Developing pincer grip and hand control
- Improving hand-eye coordination
- Building bilateral coordination (using both hands together)
- Supporting pre-writing skills
- Encouraging focus, patience, and confidence
Most importantly, scissor activities empower children. Each successful cut builds independence and self-belief—and that sense of achievement shines through their faces.
Learning Resources
These are some of the books and resources to support fine motor skills development.
When children learn to use scissors safely and confidently, they are strengthening the small muscles in their hands that are needed for writing, drawing, buttoning clothes, and many everyday tasks. Cutting also supports hand-eye coordination, bilateral coordination (using both hands together), focus, and patience.
Giving children regular opportunities to practise — whether through simple straight lines, fun shapes, themed cutting pages, or creative crafts — helps build both skill and confidence over time. With the right tools, gentle guidance, and playful practice, children begin to feel capable and proud of what they can create on their own.
By intentionally including scissor activities in your home or classroom, you’re not just preparing children for school — you’re nurturing independence, perseverance, and fine motor strength that will support them in so many areas of learning.
Happy cutting!
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