The Christmas cutting strips are a great way for children to practice those ever-important fine motor skills. Be sure to add them to your list of Christmas activities for preschoolers and kindergarten kids this December!
And the Christmas fine motor printables can be used in so many different ways in your classroom. The best part? They’re low-prep and super easy to set up using materials you probably already have on hand.
So, scroll to the bottom of this post to get your own copy of the free printable Christmas strips. Then watch as the kids have a fun and festive time while strengthening their fine motor muscles!
Related: Free Preschool Printables
Below, you’ll find a variety of ways to use the printables, along with some tips on how to prep them. I’m sure you can come up with some other fun ways to incorporate the cutting practice strips into your classroom plans as well!
Christmas Cutting Strips
I’m not the biggest fan of preschool worksheets, but I love printables like this. The ones that leave room for versatility and hands-on activities that keep the kids engaged and learning. Adding a theme to the printables makes them that much more appealing for the kids. Especially when that theme is Christmas!
How to Prep the Christmas Fine Motor Printables
Make sure to gather all of the necessary materials before jumping into all the festive fine motor fun! The Christmas fine motor strips are SO easy to prepare. You only need a few things (I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post):
- Christmas Cutting Strips (scroll down to request your free printable copy!)
- Printer and copy paper
- Kid-friendly scissors
And that’s it! You likely already have everything you need for the Christmas cutting strips in your classroom.
So, the materials listed above are all you’ll need to use this printable as Christmas cutting strips. But, like I said, they can be used in so many different ways! Here are some other items to consider:
- Laminator and laminating pouches
- Dry erase pockets
- Dry-erase markers
- Training scissors
- Adaptive pencil grips
- Sensory tray
- Sand
- Candy canes
- Christmas tree erasers
- Mini gift boxes
- Red and green glass gems
Of course, the list of materials can change based on how you decide to use the printables. I’d suggest taking a look in the supply closet to get some inspiration!
How to Use the Christmas Cutting Strips
Once the Christmas fine motor printables are prepared and all of the materials are gathered, it’s time to get started.
The first use of the Christmas cutting strips is in the name – for cutting! I would suggest you use a paper trimmer to separate the individual strips. If we give the kids too much cutting at once, they might get overwhelmed. So, start off easy by letting them simply cut along the dotted lines on each strip.
Dry-erase markers pair well with the Christmas fine motor strips. Slide full pages of the Christmas strips into dry-erase pockets. Increase the appeal of this one by setting out several colors for the children to choose from. Let the kids trace the dotted lines and then try to copy the pattern on their own below the dotted line.
Of course, you can alter each activity as needed to fit the needs of your students. You can use auto-open scissors to help children who have a difficult time with typical scissors. Pair adaptive pencil grips with thin dry-erase markers to help students get the hang of holding various writing utensils.
More Ways to Use the Cutting Sheets
Perhaps you’re looking for even more ways to use the fine motor strips throughout the holiday season. Here are a few of my favorite ideas:
- Test out the strips with playdough. Kids can roll the dough into “snakes” and place the snakes along the dotted paths on each of the Christmas cutting strips.
- Place the strips in the bottom of a shallow tray. Add a thin layer of sand on top. Then let the kids use candy canes to trace the patterns into the sand.
- Pair the fine motor activity with small candies, like M&Ms or Skittles. Children will place them along the lines on each strip. What a fun option when it comes to Christmas snacks for kids!
- Use Christmas-themed manipulatives to trace the lines on each Christmas fine motor strip. If you have more than one type of manipulative, challenge the kids to make patterns along the way!
See? So many fun ways to use the Christmas cutting strips! And this list just skims the surface of possibilities.
How do you intend to use the Christmas fine motor strips? Be sure to let us know your ideas in the comments below!
What Skills are Being Practice with the Fine Motor Strips?
Remember: the Christmas strips are a ton of fun. And I’m certainly not opposed to kids “just” having fun and enjoying the moment. But young children are always learning something with each new activity. The Christmas cutting strips are no exception!
Here are some early learning concepts kids can explore while using the Christmas fine motor printable:
- Left to right progression
- Fine motor skills
- Hand strengthening
- Scissor skills
- Pencil grip
- Counting
- Patterns
So, as you can see, there are a wide variety of early literacy and math skills to practice with the Christmas cutting strips. All of these skills are excellent pre-writing and pre-reading practice.
Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of this post to grab your copy of the free Christmas cutting printable!
More Cutting Practice Activities for Kids
Cutting is such a difficult skill to master. And we all know practice makes progress! Let the kids hone their skills all year long with a variety of cutting activities. Here are some ideas:
- Preschool Cutting Pool
- Bear Cutting Practice
- Valentine Cutting Practice
- Snowman Cutting Activity Pages
- Easter Cutting Activity
- Cutting Snowflakes
Again, cutting is a skill that takes a while to master. If you have students who are struggling or frustrated with cutting, take it back a step before jumping straight to cutting with scissors.
Have them practice picking up items with tongs, picking up and putting down stickers on flat surfaces, or strengthening those finger muscles by digging into slime or playdough!
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Free Printable Christmas Cutting Strips
The Christmas fine motor printable is available to members of Fun-A-Day’s free email community. If you’re a member, fill out the form below and the download links will be sent to your inbox. If you’re not a member, you can join us by entering your information in the form. Then you’ll receive the printable as a welcome gift!
Be sure to check out my printing FAQ page if you run into any issues.
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