by Rachelle de Bretagne

Created on: June 26, 2009   Last Updated: July 01, 2009

Children love to explore new things. Introducing them to the woodworking shop is a valuable experience for them for many reasons. Creativity may seem the obvious one, although there are other reasons why this helps them. They get to understand the significance of numbers, measuring and the overall order of doing things. The amount of enjoyment they experience really does depend upon guidance, supervision and balancing that against the creative instincts and interests of the child. When this balance is achieved, the scope of projects can be far reaching to account for any age of child, and the earlier the child starts to understand, the more likely that child is to grow up with a flexible and practical background which will help them to cope with their lives as an adult.

*Helping them plan a project.

*Talking about their innovative approach.

*Working out patterns on paper.

*Being aware of which processes are safe.

*Protecting without stifling.

*Uses of different fixings.

*Use of glues.

*Putting their project together.

*Painting and finishing their project.

Helping them plan a project.

The difficulty level of the project depends upon age. You know your own children's capabilities and it is wise to choose a project which is simple enough for the age of the child. For instance, a child who is too young to use tools accurately can still help out and be made to feel a part of a project if the level at which they contribute is planned to allow for their capabilities. A bird house is a great first project for any age, since they will get a lot of enjoyment, and children who are not old enough to deal with the use of tools can be involved in holding the wood, and helping you to construct it, in the design process and also in the finishing of the project with paints.

Choose a project to suit the age level, and don't expect a child to understand woodworking processes as common sense processes. They will not understand the complexity of joints if they are too young to grasp it. By working with them, you feed from their creativity, and gain their enthusiasm for the task at hand better than if you impose your own ideas upon them.

Talking about their innovative approach.

Many youngsters are put off being creative because they are criticized for their ideas. Talk to them as equals and if they come up with an idea which won't work, don't dismiss it. Discussion helps them to gain a better understanding of what does work, and helps them to put

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