Types of appropriate woodworking activities depend on the child's age. Two- to 4-year-olds prefer to explore woodworking tools and supplies in elementary activities, such as arranging chunks of wood, sorting screws, sawing cardboard, pounding gold tees into Styrofoam with a rubber mallet or tapping pegs into a child's cobbler bench. Four to 5-year-olds want to build objects by combining materials, such as nailing or gluing blocks of wood, according to Texas Child Care. Depending on the level of maturity, 5-year-olds will focus on making a finished product, such as a basic car or boat.
Introduce children to people who work in carpentry, construction, engineering and architecture before organizing woodworking activities. Ask a wood carver, house painter or carpenter to talk about what he does in class. He can demonstrate a few basic skills to stimulate the children's interest in woodworking. An architect can show a simple blueprint of a treehouse to children. Field trips to hardware stores, carpentry shops and construction sites will also acquaint children with the potential end results of woodworking activities.
Plan the environment where children will be using woodworking tools. A woodworking center should be set apart from study areas and the flow of traffic. It can be located outdoors as long as the center is constantly supervised. Begin with basic tools that you are familiar with using and introduce them, one at a time, to children by guiding them carefully. For example, put your hand over their hand if the child is hammering for the first time. Organize the tools so that children know where to find them and how to put them back, such as storing scraps of wood in shoe boxes and golf tees in coffee tins.
Children must be taught safety rules regarding woodworking activities. Only two children should be using a woodworking center at any one time, and they should always be supervised by an adult. Children should use safety goggles and only the tools they need for a planned activity. Prohibit children from putting any of the tools in their mouths, particularly those objects that can be swallowed. If the children argue with each other, the woodworking activity stops immediately. The children must also learn to put tools and leftover materials back in their appropriate storage containers.