Meteorologist cutting strips are an engaging addition to your preschool classroom. Add them to your next weather unit or community helpers theme. Be sure to check out the rest of my cutting strips once you’re done here.
How the world works is a source of endless fascination for our students. Invite their curiosity and inspire skills practice with the weather reporter fine motor printable.
Similar to most of my free printables, the meteorologist tracing strips can be implemented in multiple ways. Best of all, these strips can be used any time of the year!
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Related: Free Preschool Printables
I love that you can use the weather-themed cutting strips at various points throughout your day. If you and the kids discuss the weather during circle time, this would be a great follow-up activity!
Or add them to small group time when you’re helping the kids with scissor skills. They can also be placed in your fine motor, science, or literacy centers for some independent practice.
Meteorologist Cutting Strips
You can find your own set of the meteorologist-themed cutting strips at the bottom of this post. Read through the tips and suggestions, and then request a copy to share with your students!
How to Prep the Meteorologist-Themed Fine Motor Printable
Prepping is easy for the meteorologist cutting strips. You don’t need very many materials either. Below is a list of a few items you will need to get started (I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post):
- Meteorologist Cutting Strips (scroll to the bottom of this post to request your free printable)
- Printer
- Scissors
- Paper cutter
- Dry erase pockets
- Laminator
Once you have downloaded and printed the cutting strips, cut them apart into individual strips. I’ve found that smaller papers are easier for preschool hands to hold and manipulate while cutting.
If you want to add manipulatives and maximize this activity here is a list of additional supplies, you may want to consider:
Consider laminating some of the weather reporter tracing strips, or place some of them in dry erase pockets. This will allow for more usage iterations with the kids.
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Related: Weather Art Projects
Now that you have all the materials you will need, and the printables are all ready to go, let’s get started!
How to Use the Meteorologist Cutting Strips
There are so many ways to use these for skill building with your preschoolers. Of course, you can use the strips for cutting practice, as the name implies. But there are even more learning opportunities to be found here!
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A two-for-one is to ask your preschoolers to place stickers along the dotted lines before they start cutting. This lets the children work on their fine motor skills in a different, fun way. Plus, it adds a different feel to the cutting and might aid the children in tracking the line as they cut.
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Preschoolers can also use themed manipulatives to follow the the lines, rather than cutting. Natural materials like pebbles or flowers, items in your supply closet, or Unifix Cubes are all great options to pair with the meteorologist cutting strips for fine motor practice.
More Ways to Use the Weather Reporter Tracing Printables
Scissors and manipulatives aren’t the only ways for preschoolers to use the meteorologist fine motor strips. Dry erase markers are a fun way to practice pre-writing skills and connect the dotted lines. Best of all, they can erase and repeat for skill building.
Some more ideas to consider for your preschoolers:
- Use dot markers to trace over the dotted lines.
- Pair the meteorologist cutting strips with sensory writing trays. The kids can make the patterns in sensory materials.
- Rainbow write over the lines using red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple crayons.
- Add glitter glue on top of the lines. Once dry, let the kids trace over the lines with their fingers.
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As you can see there are bunches of ways to use unassuming fine motor sheets! You and your students might come up with even more ideas.
What Skills are Being Practiced with the Meteorologist Cutting Strips?
It’s clear that these strips are fun and have many applications in your preschool classroom. But what skills are the kids actually learning? Here are a few:
- Fine motor skills, of course
- Scissor skills and the mechanics of cutting
- Left-to-right directionality
- Pencil grasp
- Patterning (if they make patterns as they trace)
- Color identification
- Visual discrimination
Okay, now it’s your turn! Tell me how you and your students use the meteorologist cutting strips! Remember, you can get your own copy of the meteorologist cutting strips at the bottom of this post.
More Cutting Practice Activities for Kids
Practice makes progress for all skills, especially with preschoolers who are just starting their learning journey. Encourage daily practice with more opportunities for cutting fun. Here are some ideas to keep them learning all year long:
- Preschool Cutting Pool
- Bear Cutting Practice
- Valentine Cutting Practice
- Snowman Cutting Activity Pages
- Easter Cutting Activity
- Cutting Snowflakes
Cutting can be difficult. Stop frustration before it takes root. If your preschooler is struggling with this skill, start at the beginning by working on other fine motor skills and build up their hand strength. Playdough, slime, and clay manipulation are all super engaging ways to increase hand and finger strength. Using tongs in a sensory bin is another way to encourage more dexterity, as well.
Weather Tracing Strips Bundle
Let Preschool Teacher 101 make your teaching life a whole lot easier! There’s an abundance of fully developed curriculum, activities, and other resources just waiting for you. Our lesson plans come with printable weekly ideas, detailed daily lesson plans, book recommendations, center plans, and all coordinating printables.
Click on the image below to discover our Weather Tracing Strips for Fine Motor Practice:
We have even more resources to make your weather planning a snap. Click on the images below for more information about each of these weather resources:
Love what you see? Membership to The Pack from Preschool Teacher 101 opens the door to all the resources we have available for you. Best of all, you get a steep discount. Who doesn’t want a discount?!
Meteorologist Cutting Strips Free Printable
This free 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 weather reporter fine motor printable as a welcome gift!
Be sure to check out my printing FAQ page if you run into any issues.
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