Kids are curious and inquisitive beings. They always love to explore and learn new things. Many children take interest in woodworking right from a very young age. If your kid is one of them, you should try engaging him in simple woodworking projects. This way he will have a chance to learn the essential skills quite early. In fact, woodworking doesn’t just teach them to work with wood; it also enhances their skills with measuring, sense of space, design and construction. It can go a long way in exercising their imagination and conception skills. It also motivates and improves their confidence.
If you have thought of organizing a workshop of woodworking for kids, you need to keep some vital points in mind.
Safety First:
For working with wood, one has to use sharp tools and equipments. If these equipments are not used with care, it can cause accidents. That is why whenever you involve kids in woodworking, you have to give prime importance to their safety. Put away any sharp tools from the reach of the children, unplug any power tools, clean the workshop of all wood debris, and do away with any wires on the floor. Make the place as safe as possible for kids.
Woodworking for kids.
The next safety aspect that you have to take care is about the kids themselves. For example, they should not be wearing very loose clothes, if they have long hairs it should be tied up. Basically, you do not want anything that might be caught on the woodworking machinery. Ensure that they are wearing sturdy footwear. While working with wood make sure that you are supervising them well. It can minimize the chances of accidents to a very large extent. As an extra precaution, have a first aid kit handy in the workshop, you never know when you might need it.
One you are clear about the safety aspect, you need to focus on what you would the teaching in the session of woodworking for kids.
- Make a slow start. You do not have to overwhelm the kids with a full set of tools. Instead, it is better if you start with basic things like sandpaper, a piece of wood, a small rubber mallet. Introduce them to woodworking tools and skills, one at a time.
- Include small and easy projects for kids. Make them learn about various types of wood – let them explore the grains and texture of the wood.
- Make sure that kids are at least 4 years old. Give them real hand tools to get a feel of them. Tell them they need to abide by the safety rules; else they may not be able to continue with the workshop.
- Do not overcrowd the workbench area and have only as many kids in the workshop as you can handle.
- If you are using nails, use the ones with larger head. The length of the nails should be small as you do not want them to come out of the other end of the kid’s wood creations. If needed, you should first hammer the nail into the wood then let the kid do it.
If you follow these simple tips, the workshop for woodworking for kids can be a great experience for you as well as the kids.
