Junior school woodworking ideas.

[ianab]

OK, as part of my new part time job at the kids school, I've got to come up with and supervise some "Woodworking" projects for the junior classes. 5 -7 year olds.   

Now most of the kids actually have some hand tool experience, as the local Kindergartens let them play with real hammers, saws and hand drills etc. So I want to come up with some little "projects" that can be "pre-cut" and finished off by them. I've got plenty of scrap wood, and the shop at home to prepare things for them to assemble. 

One idea is little wooden toy cars. A few blocks of wood, band sawn to shape, and drilled for "windows" etc. Then a box of simple wheels cut with a hole saw. Stuff that can then be put together with screws, glue or nails. 

Anyone done similar, or have any bright ideas?

[BloomingtonMike]

Lily was 7 ysld here. We used Domino for floating m&t and ro sanders Not saying do this power tool stuff for your class, but just to spark ideas.

[handi]

TigerStop was handing out plans for bat houses at the IWF show in Atlanta some years back. All parts cut from one board, just nail together. My daughter and I built a couple together.

PM me and I will send you the plans if you want.

[Gary G™]

Bird houses; rock boxes (every tyke lives rocks); and, maybe even some simple cutting boards—all they have to do is glue, clamp and sand.

[mdhills]

Mike,
  those stables are excellent.


Ian:
  Maybe check out Doug Stowe's "Wisdom of the Hands" blog.  He runs a woodworking program at his school, including making cars, boomerangs, cat people, or anything else the kids want to explore.  His preference is to have the kids more engaged in the entire process, rather than assembling a kit.  search for boomerang or roller skates.

I think a bit factor is how much time you'll have the kids.

For cub scouts, some projects we've done:
  1st grade - bird houses;  kids did assembly portions (glue, loose tenons, some screws) and some eggbeater work to drill pilot holes.
  2nd grade - storage shelving for the scout shed.  (2x4 construction; the kids used braces to drill and drive a bunch of GRK construction screws)
  3rd grade - marshmallow catapults  (some measuring, cutting, and nailing).  This is a good project.


Some tool notes:
  - torx screws/drivers are good
  - expect broken drill bits if drilling small holes manually
  - plastic speed squares work pretty well as ruler and marking square; price is right.
  - HF stubby hammers -- viable for small project nails.
  - HF pull saw -- sorta works if you are on limited budget; more
  - sanding pads work pretty well
  - HF eye protection and foam ear plugs are a good idea
  - dowel joinery (I drilled holes on edge; son decided where he wanted joint and marked with dowel center and drilled with cordless drill and short 1/4" bit)

How large of a class will you have?
What are you going to use for work holding?
If you can, try to test-run any project ideas with a kid.  This will help to sanity-check your plan.

some other ideas:
  - introduction to carving  (soap carving)  <-- kids like this
  - build stations for an activity course.  (stilts, limbo, balance beams between islands, etc.)
  - rubber band gun  (if allowed at school?) -- cut out shape with saws, and then tack a clothespin "trigger" at the back.
  - gum ball dispenser
  - simple stool
  - tool box
  - pinewood derby cars
  - rafts / boats.  (use with a creek is ideal;  if no creek, can make a sailboat course with raingutters)

[Bobby Thompson]

That stable is so cool. Even better that she built it.

[Bob10]

TigerStop was handing out plans for bat houses at the IWF show in Atlanta some years back. All parts cut from one board, just nail together. My daughter and I built a couple together.

PM me and I will send you the plans if you want.

here you go 

https://blog.tigerstop.com/bat-house-plans

[Wild Turkey]

Here in Kentucky we have the Eastern Bluebird -- very pretty and a great bug eater but is often crowded out by sparrows and house wrens so they have designed birdhouses that  sparrows don't like and if you put two of them up not too far apart the house wrens will take one and defend the other from other house wrens so the Bluebird can move in.

When my boys were young we built the "sparrow-proof" birdhouses as a Cub Scout summer camp project and it worked well.  I cut all the pieces and drilled the two holes needed and the boys just nailed them together.  Worked well as long as you had plenty of parents to keep the enthusiasm harnessed and hammers under control
 

Do you have any similar birds that need houses in NZ?  We are setting up a line of the houses on our farm to hold down the bugs and encourage those pretty birds to hang around.

[Handplanesandmore]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_conti...C7ob1GrWAc

Power tools are shown in the video.

It can be easily adapted for a hand tool only class, assuming you have access to hand drills. Otherwise, predrill the holes before getting the class to use saws, chisels, spokeshaves, etc.

Simon

[Stwood_]

Build a simple step stool. Top, 2 legs and a stretcher.
Can be used as a step, or a stool.