"Where childhood matters...."
Woodwork Area
Woodworking is an important part of our curriculum. We create an area where we can exclusively take a small group of children in and safely work. We have set up the area with child size hammers, screw drivers, files, clamps, hand saws, safety glasses, tape measures, sandpaper, carpentry pencils, sanding blocks, wood, sticks, nails and screws in it.
This gives our children real hands on experience as they learn to saw, sand, file, hammer, nail and screw in a safe and practical manner. They are also learning the names for all of the different tools and what they are used for. The children are responsible for selecting the tools they would like to use and putting them back when they have finished using them.
As we teach the children about the dangers and correct ways to use each tool, they are free to use their imaginations to create whatever they wish, out of the materials provided.
The children have also helped to make up the rules to keep us all safe in this area and if any of the rules are broken the children know that they have to leave this area.
We have also been lucky enough to start a relationship with the local Men's Shed which is conveniently located just over the field from Cooloon. We have taken some children to have a chat and talk about woodworking and we were lucky enough to be gifted some wood and nails to keep our little carpenters of the future hammering away. We hope this is the start of a lovely relationship for everyone involved.