Young children need to practice their scissor cutting skills. They can do this with plain paper, or you can purchase specific cutting workbooks for them. Another option is to purchase coloring books for toddlers to cut pictures from. Encourage toddlers in their cutting skills, even if they don't do a particularly good job. Young children should use safety scissors when cutting, as they can easily get their fingers or skin pinched with regular scissors.
Two-year-olds enjoy gluing and pasting objects. Again, workbooks specifically made for gluing are on the market, but you can easily and cheaply make your own. Give your child a blank piece of paper and several pictures that you have cut out of a magazine. Allow them to glue them in place. If you want to advance your child's understanding of the alphabet a bit more, assign each paper a letter of the alphabet. For example, for "A," give your child pictures of ants, alligators and apples to paste.
Most children love coloring, and 2-year-olds are no exception. Teach them the proper way to hold a crayon or colored pencil; markers should be used only if they are washable. A formal workbook is not necessary for coloring; simply pick up a few coloring books for your child. There are many different books that feature different shapes and colors. You can also get books with your child's favorite movie or television character. At this age, coloring within the lines isn't necessary; just encourage your child to do his best.
Children who are 2 years old should begin to be able to recognize basic shapes and colors. Purchase workbooks to help them. There are many different types and brands; some are very basic while others are part of an entire preschool curriculum. Circles, squares and triangles can be drawn by hand on plain paper, as well. Encourage the child to color each shape a different color.