Montessori-Inspired Woodworking Activities

Woodworking is a great practical life activity for children at a variety of ages. It’s a popular activity for fathers to do with their children, although mothers can do woodworking as well. Woodworking is a perfect activity for outdoors (wonderful for summer or whenever the weather is nice enough to work outdoors).

In Montessori education, children work with real, child-size woodworking tools. After developing their woodworking skills, children are able to undertake a wide range of woodworking projects.

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Montessori Practical Life – Woodworking Skills

When I had a Montessori school, woodworking activities were always popular. Children started to develop hammering skills by hammering golf tees into plasticene. Outdoors, we had a workbench where children hammered and sawed using real, child-sized tools. They were shown how to use the tools properly, and no one was ever hurt.

Here are some ideas from around the blogosphere for developing woodworking skills:

Montessori Summer Activities: Woodworking- Teaching Montessori Students Respect and Responsibility from North American Montessori Center

Hammering Golf Tees into Clay from To the Lesson 

Hammering Nails into a Log from My Montessori Journey and Pumpkin Hammering (a fall activity at My Montessori Journey)

Woodworking (Photo from Walk Beside Me – blog is no longer available)

When Kids Saw from The Clay Rosary Girl

Working with Wood and Tools from Beautiful Sun Montessori

Kindergarten Shop Class by Julie Scelfo at The New York Times

Practical Life Ideas ~ Woodworking, Practical Life: Woodworking for Kids, and Montessori Practical Life: More Woodworking with Kids from Mama of Many Blessings

Woodworking in the Montessori Classroom by A Teacher Transformed

Woodworking with Elementary Children from Contemplating Montessori

Child-Sized Tools from Montessori Services

Woodworking Projects for Kids

Wood Constructions with Hot Glue from Picklebums

Kid’s Carpentry: Making Homemade Montessori Manipulatives from Pink and Green Mama (The blog is no longer available.)

Working with Wood and Tools from Beautiful Sun Montessori

Practicing Woodworking Skills to Build a Car from Barefoot in Suburbia

Build a Ladder – Simple Woodworking Project from How to Run a Home Daycare

Hammering Projects from Montessori Services

Woodshop for Kids: 52 Woodworking Projects Kids Can Build from Amazon or Book Depository (free delivery worldwide from Book Depository)

Does your child have a favorite woodworking activity?

 

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