Cutting and tearing

Boy came to me this afternoon clutching the kitchen scissors and saying 'I want to cut up!'  'Fine' I said and rummaged through some old papers and leaflets.  He went off to find some pinking shears too and then came back and sat down and got busy for about half an hour.

I realise some people may be aghast at my letting a four year old play with scissors but the child's 'safety' scissors just don't cut it (if you'll pardon the pun!).  I think it's a good idea to let children use tools which may be dangerous.  They need to learn how to use them safely.  A good way to let children learn how to use scissors is to let them cut rolled out play dough.  Cutting paper is quite a difficult skill for little hands so some practice can be a good thing.

After a while he started ripping the paper too.  This activity might seem like it's a pointless one.  Not so, Boy is perfecting his scissor skills - something which will be useful at a later date.  He had high levels of concentration which is a sure sign he is learning something.