The first image that comes to mind of a child with tools in hand is unnerving; it is natural to jump to worst case scenario of injury and tears! It is important to take a moment of pause and realize the benefits of woodworking with children.
Introducing woodworking to children, as young as preschool age, can extend their learning and development exponentially, allowing them to engage in all kinds of new learning experiences in a productive way. As long as basic safety measures are in place, tools are explained and proper use of protective gear is lead in example, woodworking is quite a low-risk activity. With appropriate tools and supervision, woodworking can lead children to flourish in their development. The benefits of early childhood woodwork include:
- Practicing perseverance and patience
- Learning focus
- Development of fine and gross motor skills and dexterity
- Development of hand-eye coordination
- Increased mathematical thinking, engineering skills and creativity
- Practice in problem solving
- Stress relief
- Increase of self-confidence and independence
- A tangible and intangible connection to nature
The list of benefits goes on! Even the simplest of projects can aid in childhood development and foster a lifelong interest in the craft of woodworking. Alongside all of the additional benefits, woodworking with children is beneficial time spent together.
There are many resources to find plans for each age group and we will share some plans on the Forest 2 Home blog in the future! Have a kids project you want to share with us? Email us at marketing@forest2home.com. Happy Woodworking!
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