Work it Wednesday: Teaching kids how to use scissors

Before I got into my third trimester of my pregnancy I volunteered every Wednesday in M's Kindergarten class. I strongly encourage all parents to volunteer every once in a while in their child's classroom - it is highly educational. Wednesday's are center days and so I would often be put at the art center to help kids with their art projects. I was amazed at how many students did not know how to use scissors! My son J is getting closer to entering Kindergarten and so I want to make sure he has all the skills he needs to help him be as successful as possible when he goes to school so today I had the kids do the following activity - the best part is that it takes very little money and very little time to put together. The first thing you are going to do is cook about 1/3 to 1/2 package of spaghetti noodles. You aren't going to be eating them so they don't have to be cooked all the way - I boil mine for about 8 minutes. Drain it and place it on a cookie sheet.

 Next add food coloring to the noodles and blend

 Until it looks like this:

 Next get out bowls, scissors, tongs, or child play tweezers and let the kids have fun cutting up the spaghetti or picking it up with tongs and placing it in bowls. This is a great fun way to increase the muscles in their hands needed for cutting the right way! And it is edible so if your 2 yr old puts it in his mouth it's no big deal :).

2 yr old using tongs (I don't think he is ready for scissors just yet)

6 yr old - a pro at cutting, but still loves the extra practice

4 yr old still getting the hang of it, doesn't hold the scissors quite right but he is getting better!

I bought the spaghetti on sale for .49 and only used a third of it, had food coloring on hand so the total cost of the activity was less than 2 quarters and it provided a solid half hour of entertainment for my kids!