Using tongs or tweezers is a good way for children to practice different ways for their fingers to use scissors properly. Assemble various objects like small blocks, marshmallows, play dough object and colored cotton balls. Children would pick these up and put them in a bowl. Practiced often, this activity familiarizes them with opening and closing their fingers during scissor cutting. During actual use of scissors, ensure that the children are not using scissors with their thumbs down. The thumb should always be pointing upwards.
On a chart paper, draw different shapes like blocks, triangles and rectangles in big sizes. Outline each shape with a dotted line. Take prints and give to children for scissor cutting practice. Show them how to cut along the dotted lines and then paste them on to a chart. Children can make different simple structures with these cut-outs and color them according to their imagination.
Children can use light grade sandpaper to practice cutting with scissors. Such type of paper is easier for children to work with than with paper. Draw different shapes on the sandpaper which the children can color with crayons before cutting. You can also apply glue to some cotton material and dry it so that it becomes stiff. Draw shapes and give children to practice their scissor cutting skills. Stiff cotton is also easier for children to hold and cut than paper.
Gather old magazines and greeting from which children can cut out pictures and patterns. They will then glue these to a cardboard to make a collage or a picture. Children can also make “pizza” from dough and cut the “toppings.” Children take palm sized play dough and roll it into a ball. They then flatten the ball into a “pizza.” Using scissors, have them cut the “toppings” from different colored play dough. Finally, they will decorate their “pizza” with their favorite “toppings.”