Hedgehog Hiding In the Grass: Cutting Activity

What’s better than learning through play? Engaging your child’s imagination while teaching essential skills is a fantastic way to foster their cognitive development and our Hedgehog in the Grass cutting activity is just the way to do it!! Using a simple printable, some construction paper, and a pair of scissors, you’ll create an engaging playtime that combines fun, creativity, and learning. Let’s dive into this immersive and educational experience together!

Importance of Scissors Skills

Teaching children scissors skills is a fundamental aspect of their early development, fostering a range of essential abilities that extend beyond the art of cutting paper. Mastering scissors skills nurtures fine motor coordination, hand strength, and hand-eye coordination. These skills lay the foundation for writing, drawing, and many other activities that require precise control of small muscles. Moreover, learning to use scissors boosts confidence and independence, empowering children to actively engage with the world around them. By introducing scissors skills early on, we equip children with a tool that not only unlocks creative possibilities but also hones crucial cognitive and motor capabilities.

Tips for Teaching Kids to Use Scissors

1. Start with Safety: Begin with child-safe scissors designed for little hands. Teach them how to hold scissors properly and remind them that scissors are for cutting paper, not other objects. Check out this post for the best scissors.
2. Model Proper Technique: Demonstrate the correct way to hold and manipulate scissors. Encourage them to use their thumb and fingers for control while opening and closing the blades.
3. Use Playdough: Before cutting paper, let kids practice cutting playdough. It helps them get accustomed to the motion without the risk of accidental cuts.
4. Provide Guidance: Sit with your child during their scissor practice. Offer verbal guidance and physical assistance when needed, gradually letting them build confidence on their own.
5. Use Dotted Lines: Draw dotted lines on paper for kids to cut along. The visual cue helps them learn to follow a path and control their cutting.
6. Variety of Materials: Offer a variety of materials to cut, such as wrapping paper, magazine pages, and construction paper. Different textures provide different cutting experiences.
7. Praise Effort: Encourage your child’s efforts and celebrate their progress. Positive reinforcement boosts their motivation to practice.
8. Strengthen Hand Muscles: Engage in activities that strengthen hand muscles, like tearing paper, squeezing clothespins, and playing with putty or playdough.
9. Take Breaks: Remember that learning to use scissors is a skill that develops over time. If frustration arises, take breaks and come back to it later.
10. Practice, Practice, Practice: Consistent practice is key. Encourage your child to explore cutting in various ways to build their confidence and mastery.

WILL YOU SET UP THIS EASY HEDGEHOG IN THE GRASS: CUTTING ACTIVITY WITH YOUR CHILD? Pin it for later!

Supplies You’ll Need Hedgehog Cutting Activity

• Hedgehog with an apple printable (available for free at the end of the post!)
• Green construction paper
• Glue or tape
• Child-safe scissors

Hedgehog Cutting Activity Crafting and Learning Guide

1. Preparing the Hedgehog and Grass:

• Begin by printing out the Hedgehog with an apple printable available at the end of this post. This adorable illustration sets the stage for the exciting activity to come!

2. Creating Tall Grass:

• To make the grass appear tall and realistic, carefully cut several vertical slits in the green construction paper. Be sure to leave a portion of the paper uncut at the bottom.
• Securely glue or tape a sheet of green construction paper over the hedgehog printable at the bottom where the construction paper is uncut. This will serve as the grassy surface where the hedgehog will hide.

3. The Grass Cutting Challenge:

• Now, the fun part begins! Hand your child a pair of child-safe scissors and explain that they have a mission: to find the hedgehog hidden in the tall grass. Their task is to cut the grass down, revealing the adorable hedgehog beneath!

4. Engaging Playtime:

• Encourage your child to carefully cut the grass, enjoying the sensory experience of holding the scissors, the texture of the paper, and the anticipation of uncovering the hedgehog.

Educational Benefits

• Fine Motor Skills: Cutting the grass helps develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, which are crucial for tasks like writing and drawing.
• Scissor Practice: This activity provides an opportunity for your child to practice using scissors in a safe and purposeful manner.
• Problem-Solving: As your child navigates cutting the grass to find the hedgehog, they’ll be engaging in problem-solving and critical thinking.
• Creativity and Imagination: Imagining the hedgehog’s hiding place and using scissors to uncover it fosters creativity and imaginative play.
• Sensory Exploration: The tactile experience of cutting the grass and manipulating the paper provides sensory engagement, enhancing your child’s sensory development.

The Hedgehog Hide-and-Seek activity is a perfect blend of learning and play, catering to your child’s natural curiosity and need for creative exploration. This immersive experience not only hones their fine motor skills but also stimulates their cognitive growth through problem-solving and imaginative thinking. As they cut the grass and discover the hedgehog, they’ll uncover the joy of learning in a fun and engaging way. So, gather your supplies, nurture their skills, and watch as your child’s excitement and learning flourish amidst the vibrant grassy hunt!

Free Hedgehog in the Grass Cutting Activity Printable

Download the hedgehog to use in this activity for free here.

Age Suitability

This activity is good for toddlers aged children 3 years old and up with adult assistance.

Mess Level

The mess level for this activity is low.

Difficulty to Create 

Low.

Skills Developed

Language development, shape recognition, color recognition, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, imaginative play, creativity.

Toddler and Preschooler Curriculums, Books & TV Show!

Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers

There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!

But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.

Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.

Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again! 

These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!

Click here for more information: Play2Learn

Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.

Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids

Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon. 

Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.

Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.

Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids

Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more. 

Find out more and grab your copy here.

Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.

Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids

Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.

• 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
• Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
• Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.

Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!

Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.

TV Show: Curious Crafting

I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.

Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!

Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.

In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create. 

Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.

This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up. 

WILL YOU SET UP THIS EASY HEDGEHOG IN THE GRASS: CUTTING ACTIVITY WITH YOUR CHILD? Pin it for later!