As an adult, you probably enjoy woodworking for a variety of reasons, including
- The ability to make anything you want
- The diversity of wood
- Making things to sell
- Improving existing objects
- And more!
With that in mind, wouldn’t it be awesome to teach your kids, grandkids, or neighbor kids the joys of woodworking? Not only will they get to spend time with you, but they’ll also reap a number of benefits from learning to work with wood.
At The DIY Joint in NJ, we are proud to offer a wide array of classes, open studio time, and pro-grade tools and equipment. Whether you are a beginning woodworker or advanced, you are sure to find the classes and tools you need. Contact us today to learn about more about our Top Rated Local® studio and register for the space you need.
While there are many benefits of woodworking for children, we’ll cover a few in today’s post.
Emotional/Social
When children have the opportunity to engage with woodworking projects, they can develop a sense of competence, increase their self-confidence, and learn responsibility. When they work with other children, they will also develop respect for others, respect for the materials they are sharing, and respect the importance of safety guidelines.
Physical
It’s important to select woodworking projects that are simple enough to be suitable for children. Even though they will not be working with large, heavy pieces of wood, they will still be able to improve their hand-eye coordination, build strength, and increase their fine-motor control.
Mental
It’s important to consider that there are a number of mental benefits for children who do woodworking. Sometimes children who seem bored in an academic setting will become very engaged in a woodshop. The reason for this is that they are intellectually stimulated through the types of thinking required in this environment. They will need to use mathematical approaches to problems to determine things like: size, shape, volume, etc.
Sensory
Some children are more naturally drawn to tasks that appeal to the senses, which is why woodworking can be very beneficial for them. Not only does wood smell good, but the feel of the wood pieces, the dusty friction of sanding, and the contrast between warm wood and cool metal are all elements that will appeal to many children.
Even though we don’t have time to cover all of the great reasons to take woodworking classes in detail, we want to share a list of some of the benefits and skills that kids can reap from woodworking classes:
- Develop problem-solving skills
- Increase dexterity
- Improve creative thinking
- Use imagination
- Enhance self-esteem
- Relieve stress
- Build independence
- Learn to match and sort
- Learn to compare and measure
- Discover different textures and properties
- Develop conceptualization skills
- Practice Cooperation
- Increase understanding of the world around them
If your child isn’t old enough to attend a woodworking class with you, there are a number of things that you can try with them at home. Basic tasks such as proper handling of a hammer and remembering to wear protective eyewear are easy to teach and practice in the comfort of your home or garage. In fact, here is a brief list of some tasks to practice:
- Hammer nails into scrap wood
- Paint completed projects
- Attach bolts to a piece of wood and match corresponding nuts
- Hammer golf tees into styrofoam
- Nail milk caps or bottle caps onto the wood as wheels
- Make geoboards using rubber bands
- Write their initials on a piece of wood and let them hammer nails into the shape
Depending on the age of your child, it might be good to offer them some alternative materials to work with, including:
- Rug scraps
- Dowels
- Tongue depressors
- Fabric or yarn
- Glue
At The DIY Joint in NJ, we offer a variety of woodworking classes, including classes for kids. Contact us today to learn more about our shop, and sign up for the woodworking classes you want!