Too Young For Scissors? Punch Outs Are the Answer!
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Montessori Activities for fine motor & prewriting skills
Students come into my Montessori classroom at age 3. A few have the fine motor skills to use scissors or hold a pencil correctly, but most are not yet ready. What they can do are paper punch outs! Using a simple push pin and a basic outline, you can show your child how to punch a series of holes that will allow you to punch OUT the work. My oldest students use this method to trace continent puzzle pieces to create their own world maps. You can use construction paper or pictures from magazines - whatever you have on hand.
This activity is perfect for the preschool & kindergarten child (3 -6 year olds). This work has the added bonus of strengthening the muscles used with handwriting. You will be getting your kids ready for writing (and they won't even know it)!
This activity is perfect for the preschool & kindergarten child (3 -6 year olds). This work has the added bonus of strengthening the muscles used with handwriting. You will be getting your kids ready for writing (and they won't even know it)!
This activity requires the use of a small, sharp object and should be done under adult supervision.
Gather Your Materials
The materials are fairly simple - you may already have them in your home! You will need:
* a push pin (a small craft cork or wine cork works well to hold the pin when not being used)
*construction paper (card stock, old greeting cards, etc would work as well)
* pencil
* small folded towel or washcloth to place under the paper while you punch (we use cut pieces of carpet squares)
*optional: shape to trace (you can easily begin by freehand drawing shapes onto the paper)
* a push pin (a small craft cork or wine cork works well to hold the pin when not being used)*construction paper (card stock, old greeting cards, etc would work as well)
* pencil
* small folded towel or washcloth to place under the paper while you punch (we use cut pieces of carpet squares)
*optional: shape to trace (you can easily begin by freehand drawing shapes onto the paper)
How To Do Punch Outs
- Trace or draw your shape on the paper - circles are easy to begin with.
- Place paper on top of your towel or carpet square.
- Hold the paper in place with your subdominant hand (the hand you do not write with). With the pin in your dominant (writing) hand, place the tip of the pin on top of the line and push gently through the paper.
- Lift and place pin tip very close to the first pin hole. Push gently through the paper.
- Repeat until the entire shape has been punched.
- To remove, you can either break through the punched line with your fingernail or by dragging the pin from one hole to the next. If your holes are close enough together, it will not take much to pop it right out.
curated content from Flickr
Punch Out Hints
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If your child seems overwhelmed by completing an entire shape at once, break it down into smaller sections by punching a starting hole and an ending hole 1 to 2 inches away. - If the holes are too far apart to remove from paper easily, show your child how to go back and add holes between the ones they already made. Your child can check for themselves if the holes are close enough together: when you hold the punched paper line up to your eyes, you should be able to see through the paper easily. If you can't see much, you need more holes!
- Construction paper is easiest for the beginning puncher to use. A more experienced puncher could experiment with heavier and lighter paper.
- Huge push pins are not better in this case. Childrens' hands are small and creating holes in paper require small movements. Oversized objects are actually harder for children to manipulate with any refinement (this goes for pencils, markers and crayons as well.) Remember, this movement will actually develop the muscles needed for handwriting.
Best Beginner's Tracing Shapes
Melissa & Doug : Triangle Shapes Jumbo Knob
Amazon Price: (as of 05/27/2012)
This is the set I use in my classroom. The shapes are thick, which is easier for beginners to trace. It also means that it is sturdy: this puzzle has lasted four years of daily classroom use and has never broken!
Make Your Own Tracing Shapes
Having your kids trace shapes makes this activity one they can do with minimal assistance for you. (Of course if they want to draw their own shapes and then punch them out - even better!) Knobbed shapes are the easiest ones to trace, but you don't need to spend a fortune on puzzles to get them. Go to your local craft store - chances are they have a section devoted to unfunished wood items. The ones in my class that I made ranged in price from 29 to 99 cents. For knobs I used a tiny spool shape that comes 8 to a package. A little glue (I like Weldbond) and you have an inexpensive, traceable shape! More options in case you don't want to make your own,
Check out these puzzles instead!
I happen to LOVE Melissa and Doug products. If these puzzles can survive daily use in a class full of 3 to 6 year olds, chances are they will survive your crew as well! Melissa & Doug inspect their products before making them available to sell, so you can be assured of the quality of their materials.
Beginning Scissor Work
Is your little Honey Bunny ready for scissors? Make it easy on them by providing 1 inch strips of card stock for them to use. The narrow width makes it easy to hold while completing a cut with just one movement.
In class, we keep a cutting tray ready at all times. We have a basket to hold the paper strips, a tray for the scissors, and an empty basket that is used to catch the cuttings. Once the cutting is complete, they take the pieces and place them inside a piggy bank. We pull out the best shapes and reuse them for art projects and pasting practice.
For more advanced cutting practice, draw lines on the paper for your child to follow. Begin with straight lines, then move on to straight lines that change directions, then follow up with curvy lines. After this, they are ready to cut just about anything! Our favorite is the Oriental Trading Company catalog - the kids love the product pictures which happen to be laid out in nice, even boxes!
Get your punch out and cutting supplies here!
Montessori Curriculum
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Dear Readers,
Did you think this lens was a cut above the rest?
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glowchick Feb 5, 2011 @ 3:13 pm | delete
- This is a great idea for preschoolers.. of which I have one and will definately try this out.
Thumbs Up!
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JDWheeler
Sep 17, 2010 @ 11:31 pm | delete
- I was left handed and always had trouble with scissors anyway. Thanks for sharing these methods. I want to try some with my daughter.
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Evelyn_Saenz
Apr 29, 2009 @ 8:11 pm | delete
- This lens is now featured on Unit Studies: Fun, Creative Hands-On Leaning Group.
Please come visit other lenses in our group.
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hlkljgk Apr 29, 2009 @ 7:06 am | delete
- great ideas :)
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Evelyn_Saenz
Apr 27, 2009 @ 10:44 am | delete
- What a wonderful lens and what wonderful ideas for helping children who are not yet ready to cut while helping them strengthen their fingers for handwriting.
Featured on and lensrolled to Penmanship: The Art of Teaching Handwriting and Mapping the World.
Please consider joining Unit Studies: Fun, Creative Hands-On Leaning Group.
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