Over the past few weeks, I've noticed that Gus is obsessed with snipping with scissors. We introduced scissors to him around the time he turned 2 with small strips of paper. And, he really has taken off. But, lately, he's been looking for anything and everything to cut up into small bits. So, I was finding whole sheets of paper just cut into tiny pieces.
Montessori Cutting Activity - Snipping String
I figured I should make him some work that will support this interest and help move him toward a skill he will need for future sewing work. So, I brought out our snipping work. This is something I used around the same age with Nora and it was a huge hit.
The tray is super simple. It's a tiny mason jar with a hole punched into the lid. (I made the hole by hammering a small nail into the top.) Then it's filled with super cheap embroidery floss that is strung through the top. The tray then includes scissors and a bucket for the scraps.
How to Present this Montessori Activity
In presenting this work to Gus, I slowly pull up on the string and snip a small amount of string off. Then, slowly place in the bucket. I repeated a couple of times, then handed it over to him. As I thought, it's been really popular with him and is filling his scissors interest!
Plus, it's really helping him naturally refine his scissor grip (you can see in the pictures that he changed - on his own - the way he was holding the scissors to make it easier to cut.) I also love that this work really encourages one-handed scissor use, since the string needs to be held in order to cut cleanly.
Have you noticed an interest in snipping with your toddler? Have you tried something like this?
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