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Some children have low muscle tone in their hands. Lack of hand strength makes it difficult for them to cut. Other difficulties that children face with cutting is positioning scissors in a proper thumbs up position and using their non dominant hand as an assist.

Fun, engaging activities for children who are able to cut in a “thumbs up” position:

· Provide your child with straws and scissors. Children enjoy cutting straws and seeing then fly across the room!

· Place a sticker on both ends of a piece of paper and draw a line connecting the two stickers. Have the child cut on the line. Start out with a small piece of paper such as an index card. Gradually increase the size of the paper as the cutting improves.

· Collect grass, leaves and flowers from outside. Have the child cut the items.

· Have the child cut pieces of playdoh.

Suggestions for those who need assistance positioning scissors in a “thumbs up” position:

· Draw two eyes and a nose on the thumb. Remind the child to use their “driver”. The thumb should be close to the sky.

· Sing the Scissor Song to the Tune of “Are You Sleeping”

Keep your thumbs up

Keep your thumbs up

When you cut

When you cut

We can cut with scissors

We can cut with scissors

Open and shut

Open and shut

A suggestion for those who do not use their non dominant hand as an assist (moving the paper with the hand that is not cutting):

• If the child cuts with their right hand place markers such as pen marks or stickers on the left edge of the paper. Remind the child to move their left hand to each marker as they cut up the page. Place the markers on the right edge of the paper for those who cut with their left hand.
  

PTOT Notes from Your Therapist- Tablev2-Oct2004