Take the scissors outside
16 January 13
Dell’s favourite toy at the moment are a small pair of scissors. I usually have some with me even when we’re out and about and they’re a great distraction for Dell when she finds she can’t join in with her older sisters’ games.
As we spend time outdoors, I’m learning to let go of my arbitrary notions about what are “inside” toys and which can be played with outside. Last year, we watched as our girls used their sticky-tape to enhance their outdoor games, and this year we’re seeing the same with scissors.
The girls still love to personify items, and in our bus we have “Daddy scissors”, “Mummy scissors” and “Baby scissors”. I try to carry a pair of “Baby scissors” with my current crocheting kit, but I’m not the one using them most of the time.
The girls love it when I call to them and ask for their crocodile to “take a bite”. This means that I need someone to cut my wool for me, and Dell has gotten very precise at cutting at the exact spot I request.
Taking the scissors outside is a great way to continue to build Delaney’s fine motor skills without all the small bits of paper to clean up! The only collateral damage in months of play has been a small cut in one shirt and some nicks on soft toys as they’ve been held a bit too tightly with the scissors.
If you have a small child who likes to cut things in the home, you may find like us that taking the scissors outside is very freeing! Dell can prune to her heart’s content and it’s barely noticeable, the mess biodegrades quickly, and a little girl is happy doing a familiar activity wherever we pull up. Go for it!
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1 · Naomi · 19 January 2013, 08:57
Genius! my kids would love it..
2 · Jess Steers · 19 January 2013, 09:43
I’m interested to know – do you have the type of scissors that don’t cut skin, or do you let them go with normal “adult” scissors?
3 · Julie · 19 January 2013, 13:47
My son, who is about Dell’s age, also is really interested in scissors lately. My husband is terrified of him having scissors at 2 years old, but I find that as long as he’s using the child scissors the risk of harm is so small especially in comparison to the joy he gets from them. When I bought him his pair of scissors, I thought of your “playing with fire” entry and it reminded me that children need to experiment and be able to explore their passions despite small risks. That’s learning. Thanks for being a such a role model for me on the other side of the world. :) Now we just need our winter snow to thaw so we can explore outside with our scissors. :)
4 · shenais · 19 January 2013, 13:55
What a wonderful learning experience (how to have a gentle touch) and plenty of fine motor practice. I teach kindergarten (ages 5-6), and many of the children struggle with cutting. The more a child handles a tool of any sort, the more adept he/she becomes at using it properly. I love this idea of taking scissors outside!
5 · Lauren Fisher · 19 January 2013, 13:59
Yes, Jess, we use “real” scissors. We have several pairs that are child-sized, but the girls are also free to play with the big scissors too. They prefer the smaller scissors as they can control them better.
6 · Sarah · 19 January 2013, 15:13
Our girls (and Jireh) love to play with scissors outside and they also like to use Daddy’s side cutters often pretending they are birds.
7 · Liz from America :-) · 19 January 2013, 15:47
That is about the most adorable thing I think I’ve ever seen.
8 · babysbreath · 21 January 2013, 11:19
please…PLEASE take your girls to get a proper haircut!! why do they get to run around with visible mats in their hair, while your hair is obviously kept up to decent standards? you are just flat out lazy.
9 · suzanne · 22 January 2013, 01:22
i love that you let them play with scissors. i tried letting my son do that when he was little, but every time i turned around i had a well meaning friend/neighbour/relative/nosey person gasp and pluck them from his hands. as a result his fine motor skills are abysmal.
10 · Irene · 25 January 2013, 04:57
babysbreath…you apparently are flat out judgemental. You don’t have the right to criticize using YOUR decent standards. Lauren, you are an inspiration to so many.
11 · KL · 25 July 2013, 07:03
I love the idea of exercising the fine motor skills by practicing cutting everything (leaves, twigs & other bits). And doing it outside means no piles of bits of paper all over the place :) I’m a pretty easy-going parent (really big into natural consequences) but I couldn’t be so chill with the hair thing. Hair defines a person & sadly, people are judged by how their hair looks. It’s especially strong in the black culture here in the U.S. Two of my children are adopted & have very kinky hair (the kind that stuff can get lost in for weeks) so I’ve had to force myself (a red-head like you!) to be more hair conscious so they feel good about themselves while learning some cool skills with styling. Everchanging is my motto I guess!