Learning to use scissors is one of those activities that your preschooler will be expected to do without much assistance (if any) when they arrive to their kindergarten classroom. It can be particularly challenging for little ones. At first glance it may seem simple, but it’s deceptively complex and takes a strong foundation of skills to master. Lucky for you I have some amazing tips and tricks that I’ve successfully used for teaching scissors skills throughout my years as a pediatric occupational therapist. And I’m more than happy to share them all!
In this article, we’ll be starting at the beginning with a sort of introduction to teaching the skill of using scissors. Future articles will go into more detail. Be sure to stick around to the end of this article for a free pack of scissor activities to get you started too.

Here are some of the skills that are needed for properly using scissors:
- Bilateral coordination (using the hands together)
- Fine motor coordination
- Hand strength
- Hand-eye coordination
- Sensory regulation
- Pacing
- Core strength
- Shoulder stability
- Arm and wrist strength
- Attending skills
It’s so important to build up these skills before putting scissors in a child’s hand. We so often want to just jump ahead to the cutting part and forget that there’s a foundation that needs to be built strong first.
Start with activities like playing with play dough or clay, tearing and crumpling paper, stacking blocks, or lacing beads. One of my favorite ways is to make simple crafts that require manipulating the materials (not handprint crafts). Our friends over at In the Bag Kids’ Crafts will give you lots of inspiration.
Scissor Skills Milestones
You might be asking yourself…well when should I introduce scissors to my child? Here’s a typical progression of scissor skills by age through the toddler and preschool years.

Keep in mind that this is a guideline, and that each kid is individual and will develop at his/her own pace. So, unless your child is significantly delayed or you have additional concerns about other types of skills not be obtained, don’t panic. Give it some time and present lots of opportunities for hands-on play. If you continue to have questions or concerns, talk to your pediatrician and request an evaluation from an occupational therapist in your area.
Scissor Skills Progression
Once you’ve built a strong foundation and are ready to introduce scissor skills, don’t expect your kiddo to immediately cut complex shapes. Believe me, I’ve seen this expectation in more preschool classrooms than I can count. With this approach we just set kids up for failure and create frustration rather than success.
The natural progression of skills usually goes like this…
- Tearing
- Snipping
- Cutting across a paper
- Cutting on a line
- Cutting basic shapes
- Cutting complex shapes
Remember that it’s a journey, not a race. Let your child work through the stages of using scissors at their pace and give them lots of creative opportunities for practice. Only help as much as is absolutely necessary and leave lots of room for mistakes. That’s how we learn best, after all. Of course, it goes without saying that you’ll always be there to supervise and be sure that your child is safe during this exploration process.
Snipping Ideas
You’ll see in the list above that one of the stages is snipping. Now, that doesn’t have to mean snipping paper. Sometimes it’s even better to start with snipping other things, like play dough, grass, cooked spaghetti noodles, paint chip samples, etc. When snipping play dough or noodles, there’s also the added benefit of increased sensory feedback.
Picking the Right Scissors
Using the wrong scissors will ensure failure right off. So, choosing a good pair of child’s scissors is important.

The first thing to consider is what hand your child is preferring, even if they haven’t yet developed hand dominance fully. There are both right and left handed scissors and some that can be used for both. Be sure to read the fine print on the package.
Consider the size of your child’s hand and comfort. If your kiddo is having discomfort when cutting, they’re simply not going to want to do it. My favorite scissors have a slight padding to the handle, are child-sized, have a larger hole on one side to accomodate the fingers and is rounded at the tip for safety.
You can also choose scissors that are adapted when starting. The most common adaptation is a spring the automatically opens the scissors after closing. Some pairs even have a piece in the center that flips back and forth so that you can remove this feature when it’s no longer needed.
Free Scissor Resource
What we’ve talked about here is just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many tips and tricks to teaching scissor skills that go beyond what I can fit in this one article.
I’ve created a couple of things to take you to the next step. First is this free pack of FREE Scissor Activities that I know you’re going to love. Click HERE to grab it.
Videos on Teaching Scissor Skills
Because so many parents and teachers ask me about how to help with teaching scissor skills, I’ve started making some videos on the topic too. You’ll be surprised at some of the simple tips that I use for helping kiddos master this skill. You can find the scissor video series HERE.