This piece is from Teaching Young Children — NAEYC's publication for early childhood educators and families — and it's written by Pete Moorhouse, a creative consultant and artist-educator with over 25 years in early learning settings. The argument he makes is simple and worth sitting with: when young children work with real tools and real materials, something deeper happens than just a finished project. If you've ever watched a child problem-solve their way through something that didn't go right the first time, this will resonate.
"Millie, age 4, uses a hammer, hand drill, screwdriver, and a small pull saw. She's designing a bed for one of her dolls. Under the supervision of Pete, the woodworking educator, she saws pieces of wood with focus. Using the hammer, she carefully nails the four legs to the bed. She stands the bed up. She's disappointed to discover that it's wobbling. She examines it and realizes that one leg is too long. She assesses how to tackle the problem, then gets an idea for what to do next..."
Read the full article: The Wonder of Woodwork in Early Childhood: Exercising Imagination, Creativity, and Problem Solving
Pete Moorhouse, Teaching Young Children, NAEYC, Vol. 18, No. 2