A Kid’s Guide to Using Scissors Safely

Scissors are great for arts and crafts, they’re useful for cutting paper, cardboard, shoelaces, thread, tape and more! It’s important to

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know how to use scissors safely and correctly. This useful guide will tell you the do’s and don’t when using scissors

1. Never run with scissors. Remember scissors are  not a toy.
2. Never hand someone open scissors. It can cut the person’s hand and cause an injury.
3. Always pass the scissors using a hand over the closed sharp blades, the handles are passed to the person.
4. Never throw scissors at someone. It can hurt the person.
5. Never poke someone with the scissors. It can scratch the person.
6. Never point a scissor at someone’s face or eyes. It can take someone’s eye out or harm the face.
7. Never keep scissors on the floor. Younger children can hurt themselves while adults can trip over them.
8. When walking with scissors, always place your hand on the closed blades rather than holding by the handles.
9. Always have an adult around when using scissors.
10. Never use an adult’s scissors without asking permission. Children’s scissors have the blades dulled for safety.
11. Always use the thumb, index and middle finger to correctly hold the scissors. You can cramp your hand if you incorrectly hold the scissors.
12. Practice on cutting straight lines first. Go slowly, and always keep your eyes on the scissors. This will prevent accidentally cutting the fingers.
13. Always sit down when you want to cut something. Put your elbows on the table for more support while you use the scissors.
14. Don’t use both hands to hold the scissors. Hold the scissors with one hand and the paper in the other and carefully but slowly cut the paper.
15. When you are done cutting things up with the scissors. Always give them to an adult or place them on a table or some safe place.
16. Never put scissors on chairs or stools. Someone might sit down without looking.
17. You can also build a scissor box just for the scissors. It is good practice as you can cut up different shapes from paper, and glue them together to form a box. Adult supervision is advised.
18. Use left-handed scissors if you’re left-handed. This will help you learn how to correctly hold the scissors and make paper cutting easy.
19. Don’t force the scissor blades together while cutting, you can harm your fingers.
20. If the scissors don’t work then ask an adult for help, don’t try to cut anything that’s too hard!

This guide was compiled by Jim D, a primary school teacher with years of experience in the classroom. Always ensure that your scissors are in good working order and not rusted! Do you have any top tips for using scissors? Let us know in the comments below!