Information and Advice

ILM - Institute of Leadership & Management

Training 4 Childcare, Bev Amison Consultancy Limited, Childcare training courses

Wood working with children

Woodworking with children

What are your immediate thoughts? Usually they relate to what the children will do if we give them a hammer or a saw and the injuries that could result spring to mind as well as the explanation that would need to be given to the parent of the injured child.

So, does woodworking have a place in early years and playwork settings?

What are the risks of children accessing wood working opportunities?

There is a risk of injury to children and others through misuse of the tools, lack of supervision, lack of respect for the tools and responsibility that they have been given.

What are the benefits of children accessing wood working as an opportunity?

Co-ordination, skills, confidence, hand-eye co-ordination, problem solving, role play, measuring, sorting and relieving stress are just some of the many benefits that there could be when children access wood work.

Using a hammer: safety considerations

Children should always be supervised when using tools. Even very trustworthy children have lapses in judgment due to their inexperience
Wear safety glasses when using a hammer. The hammered nail may bounce up and damage eye sight. Be cautious when prying nails out of a board. The hammer and the nail may fly up when the nail releases from the board.
Remind the children to be aware of helpers. The helper should be alert, keep their head as far from the hammer’s path as possible and resist the urge to peer down at the work.
Never use a hammer with wobble in the head. It is an accident waiting to happen and it wastes force. Get the hammer repaired or buy a new one.
Provide soft wood that is easy to knock a small tack into and so more opportunity of success

Developing skill:

Hard surface: hammering should be done on a hard surface.
Pilot holes: prevent wood from splitting and help the nail to go straight in. Help children to hand drill straight pilot holes with a hand twist drill. Fit the drill with a narrower bit than the nail and put a piece of tape on the bit to show how deep to go. The hole should not be as long as the nail. A push drill is another handy tool for quick pilot holes.
Ways to prevent smashed fingers: It is helpful to minimise smashed thumbs and fingers in the beginning until they gain skill. Show children how to hold the nail when hammering it in and remind them regularly to keep their fingers safe.
Technique: in the beginning it is natural to hitch up on the hammer handle and move the wrist. As the beginner gains confidence they will move their hand towards the end of the handle and use the whole arm and elbow. Show the beginner and explain that holding the hammer closer to the end and using the whole arm provides much more force and then let them decide when to do it. A lighter hammer (10oz) is a good idea for a younger child. Align the shoulder and arm with the direction the nail should go. Nails go in straight if the plane of the hammer face is perpendicular to the nail head. Therefore make the height of the nail and board waist height to help the beginning carpenter. The nail should be held with the thumb and forefinger. Hammer the nail lightly until it is holding straight. Then let go of the nail and hammer using the whole arm and elbow. Bent nails are to be expected. Good easy hammering only happens after practice. Encourage children to remember how far they have come. Nails can be pulled out easily and without marring the wood by placing a block of wood or piece of cardboard under the hammer.

In our next newsletter we are providing information on ‘Using Saws’

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