Even if you know little or nothing about woodworking, introducing your child to this craft can be a great way to help your child acquire new skills and develop new ways of thinking about the objects around them. Children who are introduced to woodworking can practice their motor skills, enhance their own creativity and sense of self-esteem, and express themselves in a medium that sophisticated, tactile, and three-dimensional. In addition, woodworking is almost mess-free and can be done in an outdoors environment.
Woodworking might seem like play to children who love pounding nails into wood. However, this simple task not only prepares a child for an important life skill, but can also lead to creation. A piece of wood and a nail will logically follow with two pieces of wood held together by nails, which will, in turn, lead to simple constructions forming boxes and other shapes. With a little help from a supervising adult, the child can realize a huge sense of accomplishment as their new-found skills and goal-setting lead to the creation of recognizable, usable objects – like hooks, shelves, or even a fort.
Other children might like the more delicate – and often more laborious – practice of sanding. While children should not be given carving tools, sanding down cubical or cylindrical pieces of wood can allow imaginative forms and shapes to emerge. Children who are exposed to this type of three-dimensional artwork can develop their appreciation for sculpture and begin to understand how objects inhabit spaces. A sanded form may be faceless until the child is given paint, markers, or glue, but even if the wooden figure is unrecognizable to the adult supervisor, the child may have just created what they see as a doll, action figure, toy, or likeness of the family pet.
Woodworking requires minimal materials and equipment, but children who practice woodworking can develop both creative and practical skills for life. With supervision, support, assistance, and encouragement from an adult, children can become sophisticated artists with this sculptural medium.
