Learning to use scissors is one of the biggest milestones in early childhood. It may seem like a simple task, but cutting paper requires much more than opening and closing a pair of scissors.
Children need strong hand muscles, good hand-eye coordination, bilateral coordination (using both hands together), and well-developed fine motor skills before they are ready to cut safely and successfully.
One of the most challenging parts is mastering the continuous open-and-close hand movement needed to control scissors.
If a child is introduced to scissors before their hands are ready, they may quickly become frustrated. Fortunately, there are many playful pre-scissor activities that strengthen little hands long before they make their first cut.
Learning to use scissors is just one part of fine motor development. If you’re looking for more simple activities that strengthen little hands before preschool, you may also enjoy my guide on 10 Simple Ways to Develop Fine Motor Skills, where I share easy everyday activities that support hand strength, coordination, and pencil readiness.
Why Are Pre-Scissor Skills Important?
Before children learn to cut, they first need to develop the muscles and coordination that make cutting possible.
Pre-scissor activities help children improve:
✔️ hand strength
✔️ finger independence
✔️ pincer grasp
✔️ bilateral coordination
✔️ hand-eye coordination
✔️ fine motor control
These foundational skills make learning to use scissors much easier and far more enjoyable.
1. Tear Paper Before Cutting Paper
One of the best pre-scissor activities is surprisingly simple—tearing paper.
Although it may seem messy, tearing paper strengthens both hands while encouraging children to move them in opposite directions. It also develops the pincer grasp used later for holding scissors correctly.
Activity Idea
Provide old magazines, tissue paper, or construction paper and let your child tear them into small pieces.
Then use the pieces to create:
✔️ paper mosaics
✔️ collages
✔️ seasonal crafts
✔️ animal pictures
Children often enjoy the creative process without realizing they’re strengthening the exact muscles needed for cutting.
Don’t Forget Paper Folding
Folding paper is another simple pre-scissor activity that prepares little hands for using scissors. Every fold requires children to use both hands together while carefully lining up edges, pressing along the fold, and controlling small finger movements. These actions strengthen bilateral coordination, hand control, and fine motor skills.
You don’t need complicated origami projects to see the benefits. Start with simple paper airplanes, folded fans, greeting cards, or easy origami designed for preschoolers. Even making a paper hat or a simple paper boat gives children valuable practice while feeling more like play than exercise.
2. Clothespins: Practice the Open-and-Close Motion
Opening a clothespin closely mimics the movement children use when operating scissors.
Each squeeze strengthens the thumb, index finger, and middle finger—the same fingers responsible for controlling scissors.
Activity Idea
Write letters, colors, or numbers on clothespins and ask your child to clip them onto matching cards.
Another fun game is rescuing small toys by picking them up with clothespins and transferring them into a container.
3. (Wooden) Tweezers and Tongs Strengthen Finger Muscles
Tweezers and child-friendly tongs are excellent tools for developing pre-scissor skills.
They encourage children to use a mature pincer grasp while strengthening the muscles responsible for opening and closing scissors.
Activity Idea
Fill a sensory bin with rice, beans, or pom-poms.
Hide small objects inside and encourage your child to use tweezers to find and sort them into an ice cube tray or small bowls.
4. Pipettes and Spray Bottles Build Hand Strength
Occupational therapists often recommend pipettes and spray bottles because they provide “heavy work” for small hand muscles.
Repeated squeezing builds endurance and finger strength, both of which are essential for cutting with scissors.
Activity Idea
Fill a sensory bin with rice, beans, or pom-poms.
Hide small objects inside and encourage your child to use tweezers to find and sort them into an ice cube tray or small bowls.
5. Hole Punches for Stronger Hands
A handheld hole punch is another fantastic pre-scissor tool.
It requires children to squeeze with controlled force, helping develop the grip strength needed for cutting paper.
Activity Idea
Draw dots along strips of cardstock and challenge your child to punch one hole over each dot.
Collect the paper circles afterwards and use them in a fun art project.
Before the First Pair of Scissors
Learning to cut doesn’t begin with scissors—it begins with play.
Simple activities like tearing paper, using clothespins, tweezers, pipettes, and hole punches help children build the strength, coordination, and confidence needed for successful cutting.
Once these pre-scissor skills are in place, introducing child-safe scissors becomes much less frustrating and much more enjoyable.
Remember, every squeeze, pinch, tear, and transfer is preparing little hands for one of childhood’s most exciting milestones.
If your child is building the hand strength needed for cutting but still refuses to draw or color, don’t worry—many children simply find pencils too challenging at first. You may also enjoy my article Beyond the Pencil: Creative Alternatives to Build Fine Motor Skills Without a Pencil, where I share simple, low-pressure activities that encourage creativity while continuing to strengthen fine motor skills.
Ready for the next step?
Once your child has built strong pre-scissor skills through playful activities like tearing paper, using clothespins, and squeezing tweezers, it’s time to choose the right pair of scissors. Not all children’s scissors are the same, and the right choice can make learning to cut much easier.
Read my guide, The 5 Best Scissors for Preschoolers: A Parent’s Guide, to discover which scissors to introduce first and how to choose the best option for your child’s stage of development.
