Woodwork ideas for pre-schoolers please

As I've mentioned a thousand times, I am on a little break from childminding, but only a break - not a permanent thing. I'm itching to get back into it actually.

Anyway, as part of my ongoing reflection I've identified a need to improve my resources/opportunities for woodwork type of activities.

So far, we have a couple of pegs/mallet toys for very young toddlers, tap-a-shape game, lots of opportunities for hammering golf tees/screws into playdough/ polystyrene, plastic saws for playdough and a couple of construction kits with nuts and bolts - not much as they were incomplete from a charity shop.

I keep meaning to let the little ones (old mindees who visit often, and DD) make their own geoboards on some little tree stumps that we have collected, but I need to invest in some child safety goggles first - just found some on a website along with some child sized tools.

What woodwork resources/activities do you provide? I've looked on pinterest but haven't seen much. What safety equipment do you provide?

I don't really!

when we are out in the woods we sometimes use veg peelers to peel the bark off sticks, and I have the 'tap tap' boards, plus hammering golf tees/etc into playdough/polysterine etc, and a builders kit of (plastic) tools. these are sometimes used with the playdough, or outside in the sand.

x

Our older children use real tools with my co-childminder when they are supervised 1-1 - they hit nails in wood, saw and use screwdrivers etc. He also shows them things like how to measure angles :D

Like Sarah our LO's use real tools.
DH was a metal and woodwork teacher before he was a design technology teacher so I am lucky to have him. Our lads started at a very early age because they watched him make things - the mindees do the same...he lets them 'assist' too. My 3 year old helps put the cots together every week.

The key is to get a soft wood - Balsa is often used in schools but in my opinion it is too soft and too expensive - I think we mainly use Pine as we often get the wood given to us( or rather DH) as it is not very fashionable now, he strips it down to use.

Just using equipt is our first stage hammer drill and screws- heavily supervised with cork protective discs etc.. Random, unstructured exploration and play.
Then little projects: sculptures are great - anything hammered / screwed into anything - can be multi media too.
DH has prepared some put together projects - a music post in the garden, bug huts, very simple animal and dinosaur shapes- all precut and drilled to assemble.
The Lo's have helped him make some things to play with - ramps, lock boards, an oven for the outdoor kitchen, various boxes...

Peter Moorhouse is a Bristol based woodworker that does workshops with Early years - check out his website, I have his book as I attended one of his workshops, some good ideas.