These were years of ferment, years in which there was an increase in interest in woodworking in the early years of education. WORKING WITH WOOD: AN IRRESISTIBLE SOURCE OF LEARNING

This is a welcome change given the benefits that woodworking has on different areas of the child’s development. Teachers who offer this type of activity find a strong increase in attention and commitment from children.

Woodworking involves hands, mind and heart!

Children become totally absorbed in this activity and develop perseverance, problem solving skills and a passion for challenging activities. It is not unusual for them to spend all morning at the workbench .

The growing popularity of woodworking is not surprising given the level of enjoyment of children and the fact that it provides such a profound learning experience. The renewed interest is perhaps a reaction to our increasingly digital world, where children currently in kindergarten learn to “swipe” before they even learn to walk.

Children are surrounded by complex technology, but this has limited their core technology experience, with fewer opportunities to watch, learn and understand processes.

In the past few years there has been a marked decline in activities with wood in primary and secondary schools. Fortunately, “making” is back in fashion, with a renewed interest in craftsmanship. Woodworking offers children the experience of building and repairing, contrasting our current and prevalent culture of consumption and disposal. The appearance of schools in the woods has certainly contributed: working with tools in a wooded environment is strongly recommended. Also contributing to the reappearance of “carpentry” jobs in schools was the changing attitude towards risk and safety and health measures, sometimes, perhaps, excessively zealous.Following a series of health and risk reports issued by authoritative bodies, schools felt encouraged to take a more balanced attitude towards risk.

There is something really special about woodworking, it is so different from other activities: its smell, the use of real tools and a natural material, the sounds of hammering and sawing. Hands and minds work together to express their imagination and solve problems, the use of force and coordination: all the senses work together to captivate the interest of young children.

We observe children working with their hands, tinkering, building models and working on projects, but in reality the real transformation is within it, personal development is the heart of woodworking.

Woodworking is a powerful activity for building self-esteem and confidence. Children feel empowered and valued given the trust placed in them to be able to work with real tools. They perform tasks that they initially perceive as difficult and show satisfaction in their mastery of new skills, displaying immense pride in their creations. This sense of empowerment and achievement provides a visible boost to their self-esteem and confidence. Children have a natural desire to build. They learn how things work and find that they can shape the world around them by creating. This supports the can-do attitude and instills children with a strong sense of action, giving them a proactive disposition towards the world.

If we pause to analyze a “carpentry” session it is impressive to see how much learning is involved. Woodworking encompasses all areas of growth and development and invites you to establish connections between different aspects of learning: mathematical thinking, scientific research, technological knowledge, physical development and coordination, communication and language , personal and social development and a greater understanding of the world. Woodworking offers an important means by which children can express themselves. It is unrivaled in providing them with problem solving opportunities and challenges. Children are drawn to exploring possibilities, facing challenges and finding solutions.

Some children are especially productive when working with wood. It is difficult to predict who will respond best to this type of activity given the different experiences of children during the first years of life. The experience of working with wood, however, can be the key that unlocks the learning of some children .

The confidence of working with tools provides a variety of life skills. Many children will need practical skills for their future work, and woodworking in the early years may be the only experience of working with real tools. Fortunately working with tools leaves a deep memory, so even though early childhood education is their only experience of working with wood, it will leave a lasting impression. With carpentry activities, children can develop their learning at their own pace and overcome their challenges.

Some teachers and parents are surprised that woodworking is introduced already with three-year-olds, but it must be emphasized that it is a low-risk activity if introduced and monitored correctly.

We make carpentry opportunities available to all children!