Today in the Clear Spring School wood shop, the 5th and 6th grade students worked on a project from the early Nääs Sloyd series, making a plant stand. This project involved an introduction to marking gauges, provided practice in making square, very accurate cuts and introduced the use of the chisel. The students enjoyed the project, even though it was challenging, or perhaps because it was so. I had explained that the value of the project wasn't to have a finished project at the end, but to have the skill at the end that could be applied to the making of other things. Photos are shown above and below. The mallet being used by Killian is one he finished earlier in the day.

Today on the Fine Woodworking website, my woodworking projects for kids made their debut. I hope these projects encourage parents and grandparents to take the education of their own children in their own hands, or encourage their local schools to learn from the example we set at the Clear Spring School.

I will be away for the weekend, teaching box making in Lafayette, Indiana, so the next posts to the Wisdom of the Hands Blog will be of that seminar.