Pencil Grip and Safety Scissors REVIEW

The Pencil Grip, Inc. is an innovative company with lots of fun products.  We were so happy to be able to review The Ultra Safe Safety Scissors and The 3 Step Pencil Grip Training Kit.  I had my eye on the pencil grips for some time and just never got around to trying them out.  This review opportunity was just perfect for us. The grips were invented in 1992 by an educational therapist.

Steps 1,2, and 3 from left to right

My son has always had a good pencil grip but he struggles with writing and extreme fatigue in his hand.  I wondered if the grips would help him at all.  My emerging writer K4 daughter needs a little help with her pencil grip and again, the kit fits the bill.  My K4 daughter also struggles with her scissor mastery so getting to try the safety scissors out too was a nice bonus.

Little Bug using the Crossover Grip

The pencil grip training kit consists of 3 different grips.  In step 1 the Crossover Grip is used for training.  It provides the maximum support for proper positioning.  In step 2 the Pinch Grip is considered the transition grip that allows structure and freedom and for the user to see how they are holding their pencil (this one is currently my son's favorite to use).  In step 3 the Pencil Grip Original is considered the graduating grip. It can be used forever for comfort and pencil control. There are free pdf downloads available on the website that include instructions on how to use the grips, how to choose the right one, a chart showing the proper way to hold a pencil, and others.

This is the Pencil Grip Original

This is the Pinch Grip and my son's favorite

The pencil grips are made of a soft, but sturdy silicone type material and really are comfortable to use.  They are latex and phthalate free.  They accommodate both right and left-handed writers and work for young children all the way to adult.  I'm sure something like this would have helped me when I was younger.  I always had a huge callous on the inside part of my index finger from writing.  It's still kind of there! My son fights with fatigue in his hand and I had hoped these might help.  He said it does help his hand feel better and it does seem to help with his handwriting.

Safe Safety Scissors

The Ultra Safe Safety Scissors is surely a unique concept.  I REALLY like that the child CANNOT cut themselves with these scissors (the blades are pretty sharp!).  There is no way to get their little fingers caught in the blades.  There is a clear shield that completely covers the bottom blade and goes all the way up to the upper blade when the safety scissors are in the open position.  I found the scissors to be a little awkward to use and I felt my daughter (who struggles with scissor use anyway) also had a tough time with them.  The shield kind of messed with her mind on how to hold the scissors and she kept trying to use them upside down.  I think as her skills improve she will not have such a hard time.

My 13-year-old son did not think they safety scissors were awkward and did not feel like he had to struggle to use them (I sort of disagree, see video below).  The scissors are for ages 3 years +.  There is also a yellow "training lever" that automatically causes the scissors to open after being squeezed.  The lever can also be placed in the "closed" position for those children that do not need the extra aid.

I'm not completely sold on The Ultra Safe Safety Scissors, but I do like the idea of them.  The 3 Step Pencil Grip Training Kit was a win and I would definitely recommend it if you have students that need to not only improve their grip but also if they have problems like my son with hand fatigue.
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Please take the time to also check out the other reviews on these products to get some other opinions on their use and likeability.