Preschool Cutting Activities: Coffee Filter Snowflakes and Crowns

Preschool cutting activities take a winter twist when you give children coffee filters to use. They can also work those fine motor skills as they practice folding the coffee filters by themselves. Coffee filter snowflakes are a traditional activity on the art shelf every January. My preschool students developed the coffee filter crown activity on their own.

Materials Needed:

* White coffee filters - basket-style, not cone
* Child scissors
* Basket
* Bowl
* Tray

Teacher Preparation

1. Turn a stack of coffee filters inside out, to make them easier to separate.

2. Place the coffee filters in a basket. Some may wish to fold the coffee filters ahead of time, and place those into the basket.

3. Place the basket on a tray, with the scissors and a small bowl for catching the cuttings.

Coffee Filter Snowflakes

1. Fold one coffee filter in half. Smooth it out, and then fold it in half again. Fold it one half one more time so that it looks like a cone.

2. Show children how to cut out little shapes along the tip, sides, and top of the folded coffee filter.

3. Open the coffee filter to reveal a unique snowflake.

Coffee Filter Crowns

1. Fold the coffee filter in the same fashion as for the snowflakes.

2. Cut off a large chunk from the bottom, tipped part of the folded filter.

3. Open the filter to reveal a circular crown.

4. Decorate the crown with markers.

5. Place on your head.

Benefits of Cutting Coffee Filter Snowflakes and Crowns

The folding of the coffee filters can be good for fine motor skills, as it lays a foundation for other real-life folding exercises. These include folding towels, napkins, clothing, etc.

The use of scissors helps children to master their cutting skills, as well as exercising those hand and finger muscles for writing.

No two snowflakes are alike, just as in the real world. Decorating with snowflakes and creating crowns allow children to explore their creative side.

Coffee filters are also quite inexpensive, which helps to fit into material budgets.