Guest Posted April 30, 2008 Posted April 30, 2008 Hi This is my first time at replying to any of the items, but great, woodwork is at last being mentioned . I have always had a woodwork bench and yes the children use proper tools. The benefits far outway the the problems and to date (In over forty years )we've only had one casualty when an over enthusiastic member bent over the bench when a three year old was trying to remove a nail. The rubber handled claw hammers, tenon saws,fret saws, pliers and flat headed nails work well. Add some screws stubby screw drivers flat and stars , soft wood sandpaper and they are off. Discipline is easy just remind the children that anyone using the tools in a threatening way is removed from the area and there will be no arbitration. The most boisterous child becomes a lamb.
AnonyMouse_64 Posted April 30, 2008 Posted April 30, 2008 Hi This is my first time at replying to any of the items, but great, woodwork is at last being mentioned . I have always had a woodwork bench and yes the children use proper tools. The benefits far outway the the problems and to date (In over forty years )we've only had one casualty when an over enthusiastic member bent over the bench when a three year old was trying to remove a nail. The rubber handled claw hammers, tenon saws,fret saws, pliers and flat headed nails work well. Add some screws stubby screw drivers flat and stars , soft wood sandpaper and they are off. Discipline is easy just remind the children that anyone using the tools in a threatening way is removed from the area and there will be no arbitration. The most boisterous child becomes a lamb. That sounds fabulous Ednaloy! (Not about the injured staff member obviously but it did make me smile. ) Have you been working in childcare for 40 years or is that just how long the setting has been running? I hope that now you have made your first post you will share more with us.
AnonyMouse_11362 Posted April 30, 2008 Posted April 30, 2008 I'd love to set up a wood work area. We have a freeflow system where the children can go anywhere including 2 rooms and the garden. I am worried that hammers will wonder outside etc. Also we have quite a lot of special needs and behaviour problems, do any of you that have used woodwork in your settings have problems with children hurting each other? Womble
Guest Posted April 30, 2008 Posted April 30, 2008 I'd love to set up a wood work area. We have a freeflow system where the children can go anywhere including 2 rooms and the garden. I am worried that hammers will wonder outside etc. Also we have quite a lot of special needs and behaviour problems, do any of you that have used woodwork in your settings have problems with children hurting each other?Womble Risk assess the possibility of woodwork in terms of behaviour, special needs and appropriatte supervision and enabling independent responsibility/play and I think that you will find that 'injury' risks are no higher than other resources available. f a child wants to hurt another then there are many, many items available, ie: blocks, train tracks, trains, chairs, penscils, scissors, etc etc etc. Rules, boundaries, and especially sound introductions of HOW to use woodwork resources and you will find that the pleasure of using the woodwork far outways the consequence of negative behaviour. Using natural resources such as this can have a calming affect on children, they become really obsorbed in the challenges it offers, the 'quick' success results and the textural /sensory satisfaction it offers. Woodwork is so diverse and can incorporate many other resources from around the setting, small world play, construction materials etc. I personally think that the positive opportunities of experiencing woodwork play far outways the " what happens if....." concerns. Go on, give it a go, you'll wonder why you didn't do it years ago. Peggy
Guest Posted April 30, 2008 Posted April 30, 2008 Hi. We have a very popular hammering nails into a block activity which has not as yet had any major problems. Also, as a forerunner to whittling elder twigs (recommended by my recent Forest School leader as absolutely the best wood to use) I let the children loose on peeling carrots. Only one tiny sliced finger and they all told their parents what fun it was - along the lines of 'Mummy, can I peel some carrots? No dear, that's far too dangerous! Well, we did it at nursery today and Lesley let us feed it to the guinea pigs. Not only can you whittle elder, you can use it for mini beast houses, push the pith out with a wire and make lovely necklaces with it. The best thing is it is free! Good luck! Lesley
AnonyMouse_11362 Posted May 1, 2008 Posted May 1, 2008 Thank you, Peggy and Lesley, some helpful advice there. I'm going to give it a go and I'll keep you posted. Womble
Guest Posted February 19, 2009 Posted February 19, 2009 Where do you get your elder from? I have been trying to find some but can only find trees on national trust sites.
AnonyMouse_13453 Posted February 19, 2009 Posted February 19, 2009 As in elderberries? In which case it's all over the place in the hedgerows. If it's alder it's slightly harder to source.
Guest Posted February 19, 2009 Posted February 19, 2009 I am really interested in your forest school training. we have been given the opportunity to take a group of children to a forest school This is a project running in Gravesham and i am very excited. what did your training consist of? How do you implement it at your setting ?
Guest Posted February 20, 2009 Posted February 20, 2009 just wondering what response you got from parents about there children doing woodwork, we used to have a woodwork bench with real tools the children loved it but we had lots of complaints from parents saying it was inappropriate and dangerous, even though we didn't have one accident. I fielded the complaints and tried to sell the positives and talked some of the parents round to change their minds but a large number were still outraged that I would put their children at risk as they saw it, they petitioned the committee who overrode my decision and withdrew the workbench. I would love to introduce it again now we have new parents and committee but not sure I'm brave enough!!
Guest Posted February 20, 2009 Posted February 20, 2009 just wondering what response you got from parents about there children doing woodwork, we used to have a woodwork bench with real tools the children loved it but we had lots of complaints from parents saying it was inappropriate and dangerous, even though we didn't have one accident. I fielded the complaints and tried to sell the positives and talked some of the parents round to change their minds but a large number were still outraged that I would put their children at risk as they saw it, they petitioned the committee who overrode my decision and withdrew the workbench. I would love to introduce it again now we have new parents and committee but not sure I'm brave enough!! What a shame you had to go through this, I can understand why you would be reluctant to try again. You are reading this thread so that tells me you maybe would like to try again, as you say you have a new set of children, parents and committee, maybe if you plan an introduction to 'woodwork' type workshop you could get parents enthused and hopefully involved in supplying resources too etc. Positive thinking = Positive results. Peggy
Guest Posted February 22, 2009 Posted February 22, 2009 Thanks will start looking in hedgerows on way home from work!! Lisa
Guest Posted September 2, 2010 Posted September 2, 2010 so glad I joined this forum anybody got a risk assessment for woodworking I can take to tailor to our setting? Have been asked to look into tools and activities (I am an EYPS full pathway student) and though I have done woodwork and bushcraft activities with preschool children I haven't done it within a setting as such. Any tips or templates for risk management with woodwork would be fab! Thanks
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