Engineer is still having a blast with his grandparents! It seems that they’re trying to get him to win the “Most Spoiled Grandchild” award! While he’s away, I’m sharing a variety of topics here.
Today I’m going to talk about the “cutting pool”. This is an activity I occasionally include in my center time, more so during the first few months of school. It allows the students to practice their cutting skills in an easy, silly way.
The setup is pretty simple — inflate a kiddie pool, place scissors and paper nearby, and explain the rules to the children. For me, the rules for the cutting pool are as follows:
- Unless told otherwise, all cutting needs to be done in or over the cutting pool.
- Scissors can only be used to cut paper.
- When done, make sure all scrap paper is inside the cutting pool and scissors are put away.
I include both blank paper and paper with designs for the children to cut. The designs I include are usually curvy, straight, and zigzag lines. Sometimes I draw specific shapes, based on monthly holidays/themes or student request. The designs and shapes are just guidelines. The children can cut along the lines or just randomly clip the paper.
Students really like the novelty involved in the cutting pool. I think it’s having a pool in the classroom and sitting in a pool fully dressed that intrigues them. For me, it’s something very easy to setup and east to cleanup. Yes, there’s always a chance the pool will get cut and deflate, but I haven’t had that happen much. I used a cheap pool for over 3 years before I had to get it replaced. This is just one of those activities that is very basic, but the kids have a chance to practice important skills in an easy and fun manner.
What a simple and clever idea!!
Thanks! I love how kids respond so well to easy activities.
Such a great idea. I have a boy in my class who just likes to cut everything into little pieces. this would work perfectly! Stopping by from Cheerios and Lattes. Hope to see you at True Aim!
Thanks for stopping by! I’ll definitely be popping by True Aim again in the near future. I’m loving the series at Cheerios and Lattes!
Yes, this really does contain the bits and pieces from scissor-happy kiddos. It’s easy to pick the pool up and dump the small bits into the recycling bin at the end of the day!