The All Stars Have Fun With Wood!

Children are fascinated by wood and tools. They receive a great deal of satisfaction from nailing two pieces of wood together. It is not necessary to name the resulting form; it is enough to drive the nail well enough to hold the wood together. Most programs for young children include working with wood. Often the emphasis in woodworking is placed on skill in using tools, and the opportunity for problem solving is minimized. Through experimentation and teacher guidance, children can learn the properties of wood and the effects of different tools on wood. They can plan constructions and choose their materials and tools to carry out their plans. Woodworking involves such a variety of skills, tools, and materials that the opportunities for using the processes of science are unlimited.

Today the All Stars were very excited to have the opportunity to experiment with wood, nails, and real hammers. We encouraged the children to make comparisons between and among the nails by asking the children questions:

Why do you think you are having trouble hitting the nail? Can you find a nail with a bigger head? Smaller head? Was the nail longer than your wood?