If you have a chance introduce a youth to woodworking, you should do it. It will be good for them and even better for you.
It isn’t hard – you just need to offer opportunities for kids to try woodworking on their own terms and they will clamor for more. Encourage kids to build things that interest them and show them how the skills they are learning will help to make their next project even better. Praise and reward their success.
I started woodworking with my five year old grandson by having him complete wooden projects with me. I made the parts and then we worked together on painting and gluing the project together. He loved using poster paints to apply wild colors, which was a little painful for me since I seldom even use stain on my projects. But he did it his way and so far we have had fun collaborating on several projects a race car, a helicopter, a dinosaur and a birdhouse. He’s a great designer, once he’s a little older, I’ll have him help with cutting, drilling and sanding.
Woodworking is a great hobby for children because it teaches lifelong skills. Beyond providing the ability to be self-reliant and build or repair things, it teaches valuable lessons in other areas like; planning, math and geometry skills, accuracy, patience, and attention to detail. Woodworking engages the senses, particularly touch, sight and smell. And above all, it’s fun. Kids love it.
You can start preschoolers out by just giving them some wood scraps, glue and paint and letting them ‘build’ their own designs. Then have them tell you what they made and praise them for their creativity. It is better to let them use their own imagination than to try and follow plans or copy a model. That way they don’t become frustrated because their project doesn’t match the ideal.
From grade school to middle school ages, you can begin to slowly introduce tools and more complex projects, using good judgment on what your child is ready to handle. Many woodworking tools involve sharp edges so careful instruction and close supervision is needed when they use them. You can build most projects with hand tools. If a power tool is necessary, have them watch while you do it and explain the care you are taking to be safe.
Be sure you keep them safe:
- No woodworking without adult supervision.
- Wear appropriate safety equipment, especially be sure you both wear eye protection.
- Use clamps or a bench vise to hold work for cutting, sanding, or drilling. Most injuries are from tools that slip and can be avoided by clamping down the workpiece.
- Think ahead about how the next operation will be performed safely.
To help your young woodworker learn, don’t be afraid to let them make mistakes. That is where a lot of the learning happens. It’s not about the final product; it’s the learning process and time together that really matters.
