Our regularly scheduled resource (you subscribers know what I’m referring to) has been delayed because the publisher had a major problem with their download system. It has been bumped back a week or so. Sorry for the delay, but that sort of thing happens from time to time. In the meantime, we hope you’ll enjoy today’s great freebie! – Jim E
When Mother Lets Us Cut Out Pictures, by Ida E. Boyd (PDF ebook) – Well, I have a feeling it may be politically incorrect in this day and age to suggest that children get out the scissors and start cutting away, so forgive us today if scissor-work (with pointed scissors, yet!) is off limits in your family. Nevertheless, this wonderful gem from way back in 1918 deserves to be re-discovered, and some folks are really going to have fun with it. Written and “illustrated” (with cut out pictures, naturally) by Ida Boyd, a teacher of art at the Brooklyn School for Teachers, this crafty little guide offers all sorts of great advice for teaching your kids to use scissors and provides a multitude of fun and educational cut-out projects. Projects include cut-outs such as flowers, dishes, people, houses, fences, toys, whirli-gigs, Christmas scenes, and all sorts of everyday items that kids can pretend play with after cutting them out. What a great way to kindle the imagination, develop artistic and motor skills, and just have fun.
Here’s an excerpt that gives you the feel for how warm and gentle the tone of this text is:
“Let me whisper something to you…. When we are having a happy time ourselves, let us remember not to make any work for anyone else. Let us make mother glad because we never leave a scrap of paper on the floor. Little fingers, bright eyes, and loving children will be quick to help everybody, every time and everywhere. Shall we have that for our secret?”
I don’t know why, but I just love that.
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I can’t believe I missed this one! We live in Germany and an older German friend of ours learned this cutting technique as a child. She has beautiful pieces framed throughout her home. It is called Scherenschnitte, scissor-cuts, and I’ve wanted to teach this to my children. I’ll be hunting this down somewhere!
I hope you run this one again soon. I missed it, too! It looks like something my kids would love!