Plan, Act and Do

Experience: Wood work (building)

Focus/ goals: With the boys showing such enthusiasm and interest in building I think that creating a
building station back at kinder would be a great way to continue this interest. This experience is providing
the children with the freedom to create master pieces as well as further developing the hammering
technique they have already been practicing. The children will also be provided with the opportunity for
problem solving through trial and error, continued development of hand eye coordination and fine motor
skills. Another key focus of this experience is the opportunity it will provide us with to discuss safety when
using tools.


Materials:
Wood various sizes and shapes.
Long nails (easier to handle)
4x hammers (limiting the number of children who can be at the experience at any one time)
PVA glue (some children may feel more comfortable to glue the wood together before hammering)
Blanket/sheet to protect the table
Various materials from the outdoor construction area and paints may be used by the children to
add on to their creations.

Implementation: Introducing the children to the experience during morning meeting, involving the children
in this conversation allowing them to create rules and and discuss the safety involved when participating in
this experience. Some of the following may be discussed:
Limiting the number of children that can participate at any one time due to number of hammers
Not using all the wood (fair sharing)
Safety issues: using hammer properly and safely, making sure that the nails stay in the container/
on the table (as there is a danger of standing on them), ensuring the area is kept clean and tidy,
how to hold the nails properly while hammering.
Perhaps creating a timetable so that the group can rotate through in half hour blocks.
Not to hammer too hard so that the table does not get damaged.
This experience must be supervised at all times as there is a potential of injury, this is why it is important
that safety issues are discussed with the whole group and then again reiterated to children when they
approach the experience.

Future planning: (continue, modify or extend)
I would start off with small pieces of wood then gradually introduce larger pieces (perhaps even
stumps/logs) as well as other materials (such as PVC pipe, plastic, corks, bottle tops etc.). Eventually this
could lead to following the process of designing and then constructing their masterpieces, these could then
be put on display throughout the yard for all to enjoy or displayed at an open art night at the kinder. Even
providing the group with model aeroplane, car, birdhouse etc. this would indroduce the following of
instructions and steps.

Date: 19/05/2014
Name(s): Asher, James
Individual, small/large groups: Small
groups
Environment: Outdoors (undercover)