Self-opening children's scissors Ergo jr.: Great scissors for toddlers!
Author: Angela Rozema-van Koeveringe
Occupational therapist
Help question: Tanja asked me as a child occupational therapist to try out a new type of scissors from the well-known company Westcott. This company makes good scissors for children's hands. However, they have now produced a special pair of scissors for children of preschool age. It has the appropriate name Ergo Jr. 
Test: I have tried it in the past period with several children aged 3 to 6 years with a motor disability or special development.
Experience with the scissors: What I especially noticed is that the special position of the cutting blades actually feels and looks very natural. The children cut nicely with their arms along the body. The two different winks also invite a good scissor grip. And well... what is a good scissor grip? I teach the children to cut with their thumb in the small eye above and the index finger around the scissors. The other fingers then fit nicely in the bottom eye. The grip with the index finger out is one that you don't always see. However, it gives more direction to the movement so that more precise cutting is possible. These scissors lend themselves well to this.
Experience with the self-opening function : Then there is an extra :) It has a spring to open itself again, as we also know from other toddler scissors. This spring works well to facilitate the cutting movement. It gives good resistance and feedback.
In my opinion, these scissors are really meant for the beginning cutter, a toddler or young preschooler. I would only use the spring function if there is a reason to do so. For example, with a motorically impaired or differently developing child, e.g. a child with DCD or a hand disability. But the spring can be easily switched off and does not get in the way, so it is nice to have these scissors at your disposal so that you can vary with this adjusted cutting angle and the spring function
My conclusion is therefore: nice scissors for toddler age.
Now we just have to wait for a version for the left hand. That is coming, Westcott indicates, so please be patient.
The scissors can be expanded for cutting activities with a scissor magnet. Read my blog on the Hungy cutter scissor magnet here .
