As kids develop their fine motor skills, they need a safe pair of scissors to practice with.
Safety scissors are the top choice for young fingers learning to cut for parents and teachers alike.
These specially designed scissors lower the risk of an accident as kids learn how to cut safely and correctly.
Here’s What Makes Safety Scissors Safe:
The most important part of safety scissors is their unique blade construction. Safety scissors will have duller blades with a rounded, blunt tip. The blade is designed to be a very low-risk cutting tool. Some safety scissors even have blades made entirely of plastic.
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Are Safety Scissors Really Safe?
Safety scissors are the best and safest option, especially for kids.
This type of scissor is widely used in homes and schools to help kids learn to cut in a low-risk environment. Kids can learn how to be responsible with their cutting tools before graduating to more adult scissors.
Blunted Blades:
Safety scissors are specially designed to be low risk, some even more than others. An average safety scissor will have a metal blade with a rounded, blunted tip.
These blades are designed with this special tip to avoid accidentally nicking or cutting anyone or anything.
The blades are also less sharp than your average pair of scissors meant for adults. The edge of the blades can handle cutting through basic materials, but they are not too powerful.
This balance helps avoid accidental injuries and finger cuts.
Plastic Scissors:
You can even find safety scissors made entirely of plastic. These scissors are not very powerful and might struggle to make clean cuts on a single sheet of paper.
However, they are incredibly safe and are designed to be your toddler’s first pair of scissors.
If you want to help your toddler with coordination and muscle development, these entirely plastic scissors are a good place to start.
They can be found with straight plastic blades or zigzag designs for your youngster’s first crafting projects.
Small Size:
No matter the type of blade, one more feature of all safety scissors is their small size.
Both the handle grips and the blades of safety scissors are smaller than they are on regular scissors. The overall smaller and lighter scissor makes it easier for young kids to use.
The more control the child has over the scissors, the safer they can cut and craft.
It can take a long time for young children to master the strength and coordination needed to use scissors correctly. The small size of safety scissors helps set kids up for success as they use these special scissors.
Blade Covers:
Finally, some safety scissors will come with a blade cover.
Slip the blade cover over the blade when not in use for an extra layer of protection.
This blade cover can help make the scissors even safer when they are in a child’s backpack or pencil case. Without a blade cover, the scissors could accidentally open inside the bag and endanger the child when they reach inside to grab them.
Remember that scissors are still cutting tools with somewhat sharp blades no matter how “safe.”
It’s always a good idea to supervise young children with scissors, no matter how safe they are made to be.
Can Children Cut Fabric with Safety Scissors?
Safety scissors will not make beautiful clean cuts from base to tip like a pair of quality fabric scissors will.
The blades are purposefully made to be a bit dull to keep the user protected in case of an accident.
That being said, a pair of safety scissors can usually handle basic fabric cutting jobs. If you give your child a single piece of fabric, they can practice cutting it with their safety scissors.
They might struggle to make perfectly clean, accurate cuts, but they will be able to participate in arts and crafts projects fully.
Thinner, easy-to-cut fabric will work better with safety scissors. Your child may struggle to make effective cuts with thick, heavy fabric or if they attempt to cut multiple layers at once.
The fully plastic safety scissors designed for toddlers will not be able to cut fabric, even a thin piece. They are best used for single sheets of thin paper.
You will want to use the metal blade safety scissors if crafting on fabric with children.
How Do You Know Your Safety Scissors Are Safe?
If you have found a pair of scissors and are wondering if they are safe, take a look at the blade’s tip.
If they have a blunt tip, it’s a good sign that your scissors are designed with safety in mind.
Safety scissors will also appear smaller than regular scissors. You might also be able to spot the colorful grips that seem to be designed for children.
Remember, a big part of the safety of any pair of scissors has to do with how they are used. Even if you have the safest pair of scissors on the market for your child, teaching them how to use them with care is just as important as making the purchase.
Please remind your child that scissors are not toys and are not for playing. You can show them what they are allowed to cut, like paper, fabric, or other favorite crafting supplies.
It might be important to tell them what they cannot cut, like hair, school supplies, or other things around the house or classroom.
You can show your child how to handle scissors safely, such as passing them to a friend while holding the closed blade safely. Classrooms will often enforce the “no running with scissors” rule, and you can help reinforce this rule with your child at home.
As your child gets used to how to use scissors responsibly, they will be better prepared to handle grownup scissors and more intricate crafting projects.
Are Safety Scissors Sharp Enough to Cut Multiple Layers of Fabric?
Safety scissors are generally not designed for any serious sewing jobs.
They are designed for simple arts and crafts and other school activities.
The blades of safety scissors are not designed to be as sharp as a pair of fabric scissors. If they were, they would pose a risk for the young user. It is hard to cut your finger with a pair of safety scissors accidentally.
It is much easier to do with a recently sharpened pair of fabric scissors. If you are trying to cut two layers of thin fabric with safety scissors, you can probably get the job done.
If you are struggling to make the cuts, try cutting from the very base of the blade. You will want to open the scissors and cut from the part of the blade that meets the handgrip.
This part might not be as used as the tip of the scissors. It can be sharper and contain a little more cutting power.
Do You Need to Sharpen Your Safety Scissors?
The blades of safety scissors are not designed for maximum sharpness.
Part of what makes them safe is that their blades are not sharp enough to cause a serious accident if misused. You can do some basic sharpening of your safety scissors at home if they become extremely dull.
If you have high-quality sewing or fabric scissors, you might be used to sending them away to be professionally sharpened. This is not necessary with safety scissors.
With a few DIY sharpening strategies, you can easily put a bit of life back into your safety scissors.
First, you can cut on a sheet of aluminum foil:
- Take a clean piece of foil from the kitchen and fold it over three or four times to make it thicker.
- Then, cut it into as many strips and pieces as you can.
- Each cut you make on the foil will help smooth and sharpen the blades.
You can also use certain types of sandpaper to get the job done. Use fine-grit sandpaper, as coarser varieties can damage your scissors.
Make some cuts with your safety scissors and see how quickly the blades come back to life.
Remember to use your newly-sharpened safety scissors with care. When the blades are freshly sharpened, they can pose more risk to young users.
Please help your child use their sharp safety scissors with care.
Final Thoughts:
Safety scissors are designed with young students in mind.
The rounded, dull blade tip helps prevent accidents, and the small size is ideal for little hands. The blades themselves will not be as sharp as the general scissors adults use.
Plus, helping your child learn how to cut and use scissors responsibly will help any pair of scissors become even safer.
Sources:
Slice: Safety Scissors: Not Just For Kids Anymore