Inside this post we share a simple preschool cutting activity using leaves! Kids can build their fine motor skills as they rip & snip!
Check out this preschool cutting activity with leaves!
You don't need fancy materials to get kids excited about cutting! Just head outside and find some leaves that have fallen down (or grab some scraps from your yard waste bin like my friend Busy Toddler did)!
How do you make cutting fun for kids?
- Use a variety of cool tools & scissors! You can find our favorite fine motor tools here.
- Don't just cut paper!
- Get creative! We love to come up with seasonal cutting activities and fun cutting tray ideas!
Supplies:
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- Scissors
- Leaves (we found these outside)
- Tray (we love these white foldable trays from IKEA and Amazon)
Leaf cutting activity instructions
It's so simple!
Go on a hunt outside for some leaves!
Pick some up off the ground.
Bring them back to a table or tray and start snipping and ripping!
At what age do you introduce scissors?
For me it is less of an age thing and more of a stage thing.
I ask myself the following questions:
- Has my child tried a lot of different types of fine motor activities with his hands, like digging, pressing, pulling, squishing, pinching, etc?
- Is my child interested in using scissors?
When my kids are around 2 or seem ready or interested in cutting, I like to introduce cutting things like playdough, yarn, and spaghetti. Then we'll move on to paper or other materials.
Usually by age 3 I will introduce kid scissors to my kids for cutting paper.
Scissor Skills PRO TIP:
Make sure to draw a smiley face on your child's thumb (on their dominant hand) or use a sticker. Remind them to keep the smiley face up towards the sky while they cut!
This pro tip will help them have a more successful time cutting with scissors!
More Fall Themed Activities
Here are a few of our favorite Fall themed activities. Tell us some of your favorites in the comments.
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