Use these dragon cutting strips to help your preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten students master critical fine motor skills. Be sure to check out the rest of my cutting strips once you’re done here.
You can use so many different materials with the super versatile dragon fine motor printables! So don’t worry about having to find special supplies. Plus, they’re so very low-prep. In fact, you can have the dragon-themed printables ready for tomorrow morning.
I think the printables are great for a few different kindergarten and preschool themes, such as fairy tales or mythical creatures. No matter when you use them, the dragon line tracing printables’ bright colors and fanciful theme will keep the kids engaged.
Related: Free Preschool Printables
Scroll to the bottom of this post and request your own copy! Get ready to see your preschoolers’ eyes light up when they see these colorful, friendly dragons.
Dragon Cutting Strips
Read below for some prepping tips, as well as ideas for using the dragon-themed printables with your students. Please keep in mind that you don’t have to do things exactly the same way I do! In fact, I bet you and the kids can come up with even more ideas for this fine motor fun.
How to Prep the Dragon Fine Motor Printables
Before you fly into the fun, make sure you have all your materials ready to go. Here is a short list of essential items you will need for this fine motor activity (I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post):
- Dragon Cutting Strips (scroll down to request your free printable copy!)
- Printer
- Scissors
- Paper cutter
- Dry erase pockets
- Laminator
The materials listed above are what you need to get the dragon cutting pages ready to go. Here are a few more items you might want to gather and have on-hand as your students use the sheets:
This list can be altered based on what you already have on hand and how you decide to use the printables with your preschoolers. Make sure to check what supplies you may already have that can be used.
Related: Dragon Calendar Numbers
Once you have all of the materials ready to go, it’s time to prep the dragon-themed fine motor pages. First, print as many copies as you’d like to use. Then cut each page apart into individual strips. Finally, if you want the printables to be reusable, you can laminate them.
How to Use the Dragon Cutting Strips
The first way to use them is right there in the name! You can use these strips for cutting practice. The cutting practice pages are in strips to make it easier for little hands to manipulate them while cutting. Encourage your preschoolers to cut along the dotted line, moving from left to right.
Related: Dragon Sensory Bin
Dry erase markers are perfect for these dragon strips. Slide the strips into dry erase pouches or laminate them. Then invite your students to use dry erase markers along the dotted lines, moving from left to right.
More Ways to Use the Dragon Cutting Sheets
Looking for even more ways to use the dragon cutting strips? I’ve got you covered! Below are a few suggestions to expand this activity:
- Let your students add some dragon or fairy tale stickers to the lines. The kids can then cut over the scissors, which will provide a little more resistance and feedback as they cut.
- Grab some math manipulatives or simple loose parts, like buttons. Have the children trace over the lines using those manipulatives. Challenge the kids to count how many items they used for each strip.
- Set out some green play dough. Let the children make playdough “snakes” to trace over the lines on the dragon cutting strips.
- Allow the children to use dot markers on the fine motor pages. To take it a step further, challenge the kids to using multiple colors to create patterns along the way.
I think that’s enough to get you started for now. Keep in mine, these ideas are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to possibilities.
How will you use the dragon cutting strips? I would love to hear your ideas in the comments section below!
What Skills are Being Practiced with the Dragon Fine Motor Strips?
My first priority is the make sure preschoolers are having fun and engaged as they learn! As teachers it is our task to make sure that the activities we plan combine fun with some skill building. The dragon fine motor strips do the trick!
Here are some highlights of the early learning concepts that preschoolers can explore while using the dragon fine motor strips:
- Left to right progression
- Fine motor skills
- Hand strengthening
- Scissor skills
- Pencil grip
- Counting
- Patterns
Again, this isn’t an exhaustive list. You can add in a variety of other elements to touch on even more early learning skills as you see fit!
Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of this post to get your copy of the free dragon cutting printable!
More Cutting Practice Activities for Kids
Cutting is a core skill for preparing preschoolers for kindergarten. The best way for preschoolers to master this skill is through consistent practice to keep their skills sharp. Below is a list of more cutting activities to keep preschoolers engaged as they practice:
If these activities are not working for your preschooler consider taking a step back to focus on hand strength and other fine motor skills.
Challenge your preschooler to pick up small objects with tongs from a flat surface instead. Another option is to bring out the playdough, slime, and clay for them to mold and build up muscle and control. Then you can reintroduce the dragon cutting strips when the kids are ready.
Fairytale Tracing Strips for Fine Motor Practice
I love teaching preschoolers, and I know the paperwork can be a bit of a grind at times. If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed there, my sister site Preschool Teacher 101 can help. Our comprehensive preschool lesson plans, activity packs, and myriad of other resources are just what you need to keep your preschoolers excited to learn all year long.
Click on the image below to check out our fairy tale tracing strips set:
Wishing for more? Click the images below to check out more themed preschool resources:
This is just a small sample of what is available through Preschool Teacher 101. If you want more, it is definitely worth joining The Pack to get regular access to all our products at a steep discount.
Request the Free Printable Dragon Cutting Strips
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 dragon cutting practice printable as a welcome gift!
Be sure to check out my printing FAQ page if you run into any issues.
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