Scissors for cutting exercises

Scissors for cutting exercises make cutting a deliberate piece of work rather than an afterthought to crafting. A child begins by snipping the edge of a narrow strip, one closing of the blades for each cut, and only later follows a drawn line the whole way across. Guiding the blades along a line asks both hands to do different jobs at once, strengthens the fingers and builds the control that writing will later demand. The cut edge shows at a glance how closely the hand stayed to the drawing, so a child can judge the attempt without being told. Offered from about three years, with an adult presenting the first careful cuts.