Woodwork at nursery

[KnockMeDown]

OK, am feeling brave so posting in AIBU, but also because I am genuinely not sure if I am right to be concerned about this or not.

DD 3.4 goes to a fabulous nursery, where they do a huge range of activities, and in general, I completely trust their judgement. But she has just started doing woodwork, which involves hammering real nails into wood, through various metal bottle tops and other objects. The results feature nails sticking up to a height of 1-2cm. The nails are then covered with masking tape to make them safer.

I think I am ok about DD taking part in this activity, but not 100% happy. But I really don't think that a 3 yr old bringing home a piece of wood with nails sticking out of it is safe. The masking tape will not do anything if she was to fall on to the wood or lean on it with her hand. The first time she brought one of these home I did not know it was there - it was in a bag of other work, which was mainly drawings, as you would expect.

I raised it with the nursery at the time - her key worker said they would discuss it with the staff. The wood on that occasion was also very roughly sawn - a splinter waiting to happen. Today, she has brought another one home - this time smooth edges, but nails still sticking up, covered with masking tape.

So, am I being excessively PFB, or is this not something you would be happy with? All comments appreciated.

PS if I get my act together, will try to post pics of the offending article later.

OK, Primal. I'll wait for my very own piece of wood with a sticky out nail, or similar.. Glad for someone else to supervise these kinds of things if I don't have to watch!

My DDs reception class did this, my objection was them leaving the tools out at pick up leading to the mothers of children with little ones having to wrestle hammers off two year olds rather than ignore them and stand round chatting--

Never sent the wood home though, what are you supposed to do with that?

When my DS came home with his wood work "project" from Kinder I was a little shocked but as the teacher said, they hammer so carefully that she has never had a sore thumb.

Woodwork at nursery is - in theory - an excellent activity that teaches them useful practical skills and the importance of safety.

Woodwork - as described - is ridiculous. What is the point of nails through bottle tops into a length of wood? Why make something that immediately has to be covered in masking tape?

They need to rethink the purpose and methods of the lessons, and probably the teacher. When I was at nursery we did both woodwork and cookery from the age of 3, introduced systematically to each tool, its use and its dangers. And we made things that had a point (in the sense of 'use') but weren't pointlessly pointy - toy planes with propellers that go round teach exactly the same 'banging nails through thing A into thing B' skill (and potentially sawing, filing, sanding and planeing, depending how much pre-prep work is done on the components) while making something they can safely play with afterwards.

My friends 4yo (who is now 13) was competently chopping kindling with a hand ax at 4. She got a saw for her third birthday.

It used to freak some people out but she's one of the few people I know who regularly processes fire wood who has NEVER hurt themselves

Am I really the only person who thinks woodwork at nursery is a totally ridiculous activity? It just seems too much too young to me. And I wonder how well supervised the children can be really given the ratios for 3 and 4 year olds.

It's not too young at all - if it's well planned and taught. My woodwork set (when I was 4) was one of my favourite ever Christmas presents. Two sorts of saw, two sorts of hammer, pliers, file, small hand drill, sanding blocks, and a beautiful set of chisels. Loved it. And I still have a full set of fingers.

I think it sounds brilliant though the idea of toddler DS with a saw or real hammer brings me out in cold sweats and makes me want to hide the cat Like all the painting and glitter crafts they do, I'm glad that someone else gets to supervise them doing it!

The creches I worked in Australia did this sort of thing from 2 years old. much more daring they are there, none of the cotton wool stuff. I never saw a real injury, I did see happy, confident, capable children.

I remember doing this at school when I was four. I absolutely LOVED it. I was so disappointed when my turn was over (we were heavily supervised). I had been making a chair for my Sindy doll and my grandad finished for me - and I still have it! and I'm now in my 40's

I must admit I was a bit taken aback when my twins started nursery and an activity in the garden was a hammer, nails and large pieces of wood. It wasn't particularly 'managed' either.

My twins were at the 'hit each other with whatever is to hand' stage so I was a bit concerned. I spoke to one of the workers at the nursery and she said that there had never been an issue. If they hit their fingers they soon learnt not to do it again.

Although it's not something I would replicate at home I think you have to trust that if it's a good nursery / preschool it knows what it's doing.

I remember he woodwork table in my nursery very fondly. It was my favourite activity, not sure if it was supervised though (mid 80s). I can't see it being an issue and would be happy for my kids to do it.

Ghoul at our setting that sort of activity would only take place if we could guarantee 1:1

There are so many children starting school now with poor motor skills - lacking the skills to start writing. This sounds great, and fun.

Our school uses little cork boards and shapes with a hole in the middle that the children tap in with a nail

Kids in our kindergarten are allowed to use scout knives to whittle sticks in the wood from 3 years 7 months........

And no we're not in the uk...

We do this at my setting with horror of horrors TWO year olds! They don't take anything home and we do it one to one with safety goggles. Have never had one accident with it and they LOVE it.

Oh and we whittle too.

Suggest they put it in a box with lid for transport home.

I would definitely ask for it to be handed to me afterwards

(I am however saying this as someone who fell on a nail in a piece of wood, when I was doing woodwork with my dad aged about 4, it went through my cheek!)

Sounds great! I'm sure DS would have loved that when he was at nursery. I did get a shock when I saw the pics of the children cooking at nursery, DS was about 3 and had been chopping carrots, the pic was of him with a kitchen knife . He loved it.

He's been helping me build ikea furniture since he was about 4 and was so proud of himself when we built a shelf unit. He's a dab hand with an Allen key!

Years ago, I went to NZ to look at their early years provisions. We stood there with our mouths open as we watched tinies work with hammers, nails, saws and sharp knives.Their first task on entry was to make their own chair.

This was a couple of years after my own DSs were forced to sit at a desk and work.

I was to my heart.

2cm of nail sticking out of a piece of wood is very unlikely to cause a serious injury and is certainly no more dangerous than a pencil if carried round.

Children are very good at risk assessing for themselves and keeping to clearly presented rules if non-compliance means non-participation.

They aren't being allowed to play freely with machetes and nail guns. The worst that's likely to happen is a hammered finger and even that can be prevented by using pieces of card to hold the nails.

They should be allowed to design and create without restriction because that's how they learn best although I am certain that building flatpack furniture has a lot of value too.

It's amazing what children can achieve in the right environment if you equip them well and trust them to behave appropriately. Being allowed to use grown-up equipment can really boost self-esteem.

I'd rather a pre-school child of mine was hammering and sawing than playing with plastic any day.