20 Easy Cutting Activities for Toddlers
When parents think about scissors and toddlers, the initial reaction is always fear – the little one might get hurt because the scissors or any materials they cut can have sharp edges. However, there will come a time in your young children’s lives when they need to learn how to use these tools properly.
Young children who practice cutting have stronger hand muscles. People frequently use their hands, so exercising them is helpful for numerous tasks.
Cutting differs from other beginner crafts techniques in that it can help develop bilateral coordination. Your child should cut with one hand while turning the paper with the other. It is helpful preparation for future tasks that require the simultaneous use of both sides of the body.
Cutting is a skill that all toddlers need to learn. Your child can work on their fine motor skills by cutting, which will help them when they start writing.
Here are 20 cutting activities for toddlers that you can check out and try with your little ones! Your toddlers will certainly learn how to cut with these simple tools and how to be careful with them. We also have a list for preschool scissors practice.
Cutting Out Magazines
Cutting out pictures from magazines is a classic activity for kids. You can use scissors to cut out pictures of people, animals, objects, letters and numbers, simple shapes, words, patterns, and vehicles.
Older kids may enjoy learning to use a circle cutter to shape pictures, such as snowflakes or hearts. You can paste the pictures on a scrapbook page, or you can add color and detail with markers, crayons, paint, or glitter glue.
Cutting Playdough
Playdough is an excellent material to cut. It’s soft and easy to cut, so your toddler won’t get discouraged by the difficulty of cutting. Plus, playdough is fun to play with and can help your little one with their fine motor skills by making shapes or letters.
Cutting playdough is not just fun and educational, it can also help your child develop patience. If you want to teach your toddler the fine motor skills needed for cutting, playdough is an excellent resource.
Paper Cutting
The ideal way to introduce your child to craft ideas that involve paper cutting is to have him design huge, straightforward shapes on various pieces of vibrant paper and then have him cut them out along the outline. Then, you can use these things to make a scene that your child can decorate and hang on his room wall.
Get more paper activity ideas from Mom Junction.
Cutting Stickers
Has your kid tried cutting stickers? Plenty of stickers are available at stores, or you can look for free stickers in magazines, scrapbooking materials, and other paper products. Finish the activity by having your child stick it on a notebook, wall, or door to serve as decoration.
Learn more about why kids should play and how to cut stickers from The Tool Box.
Fruit and Food Cutting
A young toddler can do this activity while an adult helps them make food. Preparing for future cooking activities as the child ages helps expose the child to the kitchen environment. It also introduces them to different cutting tools, and as they do the activity, make sure to remind them of safety rules!
Also, check out these other ways for toddlers to learn about fruits and vegetables.
Paper Cutting Lines and Shapes
If you want more precise cutting activities for your toddlers, there are plenty of printables online that you can download and provide for your kids. These printables usually come with guides and have different lessons or shapes. Soon enough, they will also learn to cut zigzag lines, straight lines, shapes, and images of various sizes!
Check out our Free Watercolor Christmas Printables. Get more cutting guide samples for your toddlers at Rainbow Printables.
Scissor Art
Scissor art is a great way to introduce toddlers to the concept of cutting. It’s a fun way to get kids to use scissors and teaches them how to hold and use them properly. Your child will also learn about shapes as they cut out their designs with scissors, which will help them become familiar with geometry.
There are plenty of scissor art ideas you and your child can try, and it doesn’t have to be complex or complicated – just like this hedgehog scissor art using paper plates! By doing this activity, they will learn how to pay attention to one thing at a time.
Also, check out this handprint hedgehog activity. For more details about this cutting activity, visit Paging Fun Mums.
Drawing with Scissors
If you’re looking for simple, quiet activities to do with your toddler, try making art by drawing with scissors. No, you’re not going to use your scissors as your pencil, but instead, cut out different shapes and sizes using different colored papers to create a mosaic that’s original to your toddler!
First, have the child draw their desired shapes on the paper with the pencil. Then have them put together all their designs before gluing them on a clean canvas to complete the masterpiece.
For more ideas about this activity, check out Mom to 2 Lil Polish Divas.
Cutting Plastic Straws
Photo from Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails
This is an easy activity that kids can do by themselves. It’s also an inexpensive craft project that creates amazing results. All you need are some straws and your trusted pair of scissors!
Plastic straws are best for this activity because they’re soft and easy to cut through. You can add more fun to this activity by turning the cut-out straws into homemade necklaces or bracelets when put together with a string.
Simple Cutting Activity Using Toilet Roll Tubes
As the name of this activity suggests, all you need are your empty toilet rolls, your trusted scissors, and some googly eyes to complete the look. Make sure to supervise the little ones while they are doing this activity!
Check out Lalymom to check the complete guide to this cutting activity for toddlers.
Washi Tape Cutting
Using washi tape, which is one of our favorite craft supplies, is a very easy way to work on fine motor skills with scissors. To make the most out of this activity, have your toddler do it when you need the washi tape for another craft activity. This way, no washi tape will go to waste!
Check out how it’s done at Happy Toddler Playtime.
Cut Out Letters
Lettering cutouts are a fun way to practice cutting. They’re also great for learning how to read, so when you get lettering cut out that says “Mommy,” your toddler can read it!
As you’re cutting the letters, talk about what direction they go, as you would when teaching them how to write the alphabet. It would help if the cutouts had arrows, too! This activity also allows you to teach your little ones about left and right and up and down.
Discover more ways to cut and paste letters from The Kindergarten Connection.
Cutting Gelatin (Jell-O)
Have your kids create a bowl of jewel-like gelatin (think Jell-O) through this cutting activity! Gelatin is a great product to help teach your toddlers how to use scissors properly and improve their fine motor skills. Have your child cut the gelatin in various ways to make fun and interesting shapes.
Learn more about this cutting activity for toddlers from Nurture Store.
Tape, Cut, and Rescue
Tell your child that the bears are stuck and that he or she can only use scissors to save them. Making up a story will help develop creativity, language skills, and communication. As your child holds on to the tiny bears, their hand muscles will get stronger.
Learn more about this activity from Days with Grey.
Paper Salad Making
Have your toddler make a paper salad instead of randomly cutting paper to practice cutting skills.
The papers should be of the same bright colors often found in a salad. Then, have them slice the salad into whatever shapes they think might be present.
Learn more about this activity for toddlers at Moss Wood Connections.
Cutting Blades of Grass
Do you want to teach your children to cut while giving them a little responsibility? Tell them to cut some blades of grass. A child’s ability to use scissors can be developed in a fun and novel way: by cutting grass.
Cutting Paper Flowers
Cutting paper flowers is another fun activity that your toddler will love. Once you’ve mastered the art of flower cutting, you can move on to any number of other crafts. Your child can improve their fine motor skills and their ability to multitask by having them cut out paper flowers. After all, cutting out shapes is one of the most important parts of many learning activities.
Doll Hair Cutting Activity
Giving their dolls a new hairdo is a great way for your kid to practice using both hands. Make sure that one side of the construction paper stays intact as you cut along the lines. This is going to be the foundation for the fake baby doll hair. Put it on the doll’s head and let your kiddo give it a “haircut”!
Check out the step-by-step guide to this craft from Happy Toddler Playtime.
Cutting Paper Strips
Straight line cutting is one of the hardest skills to master. Your toddler may need a lot of practice before he or she can successfully cut a straight line, despite the activity’s relative simplicity. Making sure you have enough paper to work on is necessary for this activity. They can use a clean sheet of paper with lines printed on it as a template. Allow them to start by cutting small strips. As soon as they become proficient with this, have them work on cutting longer strips.
Cut to the Stars Printables
It is challenging to cut out a star shape. Then, when you feel they’re ready, you can take their practice to the next level by giving them star-shaped printables to cut out. They can build confidence in cutting stars by starting with larger ones and working their way down to smaller ones. Their hand-eye coordination, dexterity, and focus on detail will all benefit greatly from this.
Check out some awesome star printables at Teaching 2 and 3 year olds.
