Cutting Skills--Assorted Pumpkins

October is definitely "pumpkin" month!  Unfortunately, too many teachers and therapists are not addressing scissors skills like they used to! (Not enough time, programs/curriculum's that allow the child to chose NOT to use scissors, too many IMPORTANT subjects that need to be covered, etc.).  The OUTSTANDING Teachers and Therapists who frequent this site will realize they CAN work in cutting skills into their sessions with the children!  Scissors skills are important for isolating finger muscle movement and improving eye-hand coordination.  Cutting also addresses position in space and bilateral hand control issues--plus a whole lot more!  Cutting skills evolve from the random snip, to cutting on a line, to curved line cutting and progresses to simple and complex shape cutting. 
This month's craft section will give you ideas that will work with all levels of cutting you are dealing with; AND you can incorporate these projects with your writing, spelling or math sessions! So lets get those pumpkins rolling

LANTERN PUMPKINS (Random or straight line cutting)

Materials Needed:

Construction paper
Scissors
Markers
Glue or Staples

Directions:

1.  Take a piece of construction paper and fold it in half (lengthwise).
2.  Mark off intervals to cut on the line if needed (for random cuts let child decide where to cut.  The closer you put the lines together, the harder this task is.
3.  Have child cut on fold up to 1" near top of paper.
4.  Unfold paper and have child draw letters, words or a face on the pumpkin.
5.  Take paper  and bend around to form circle (slightly overlapping) and glue or staple to hold at top and bottom of paper.
6.  Add a handle and a leaf if desired.



LINK PUMPKINS (Straight line cutting)

Materials Needed:

Construction paper
Scissors
Glue or staples

Directions:

1.  Draw lines on construction paper if needed and have child cut 6 to 8 strips.
2.  Assemble strips into wheel with overlapping in the center (like spokes on a wheel).  Glue or staple strips in place.
3.  Draw a face, write a name, a math problem etc. on the strips.
4.  Bend strips around to form pumpkin shape and secure with glue or staples (second spoke).
5.  Add a stem and leaves fashioned out of construction paper.




3-D PUMPKIN (Complex shape cutting)

Materials Needed:

Construction Paper
Scissors
Staples
Markers

Directions:

1.  Fold construction paper in half  and in half again (into quarters).
2.  Draw 1/2 pumpkin shape onto paper with half toward fold.
3.  Cut out pumpkins.
4.  Line up pumpkins and staple on line down middle of pumpkin (4 stand up sides).
5.  Give markers and allow child to draw emotions, math equations, spelling words or practice name on sides.
--words of the week written in facial features


Let the children hang their pumpkins around the room or keep them on their desk to study their math or spelling words--Everyone is a winner on this one!

*Want a fast way to know if a child could use some help with fine motor skills?  Put a small candy in their palm and ask them to manipulate it up to their thumb and index finger before eating it-using only the one hand.  The kids  that cannot do this, without using their other hand or trunk to assist in moving the candy; are those who cannot cut either!   THESE are the children that need referring for services!