Blogger / 15 June, 2026 / Nanny Anita

Montessori Scissor Activity

Learning how to use scissors is an important part of a child’s development, and hopefully this Montessori scissor activity will help.  Giving small children scissors, can make adults feel slightly nervous.  I certainly worry about them cutting themselves by mistake, and I’ve had children in the past take their scissors to all sorts of things.  Including their hair (although I kind of think that is a rite of passage), other people’s hair, and clothing.

I do think using safety scissors is pointless.  Half the time they don’t cut the paper, and it leads to the child getting frustrated.  Instead, I go straight in with child sized round tipped scissors.  Before you give your little one scissors to use, you do need to make sure that you have been doing activities that will help strengthen their hand muscles and coordination.  You can start with activities like tearing paper, using spray bottles, playing with play dough etc.

Make sure you follow my activities for little ones on Pinterest for more ideas.  Don’t forget to save the pin for later.

To make your own Montessori scissor activity you will need:

• Small tray
• Scissors
• Thin strips of paper or wool

Add all you items onto the tray and set it up within easy reach of your little one.  I always put ours on a sideboard in our play area at work.  NC can see it and access it easily.

She loves to use the scissors, so this activity is always being used.  To begin with she was using two hands to open and close the scissors while I held the paper.  Now she has been doing it a while she has started using one hand to operate the scissors and holds the paper herself.  I try not to get involved unless she is about to cut her finger in the process.  We also start the activity by repeating that scissors can only be used for cutting paper and with an adult present.

After she has finished, she has to clean up all the bits of paper and put the tray back where it came from.

If you enjoyed this Montessori scissor activity, be sure to check out my ping pong and water gun activity, and monster hair cut activity.

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