ABSTRACT

This chapter looks at how woodwork with young children has been embraced around the world, and the rich history of woodwork in early childhood education to the pedagogy of Friedrich Froebel. It explains how the value of woodwork spread amongst the early pioneering educators, then looks at how it developed over the years and discusses the resurgence of woodwork today. The earliest records of woodwork with young children come from the pioneering work of Friedrich Froebel, the founder of the kindergarten movement. His view was of children as holistic learners who learned most effectively by being active with their hands and minds. Inspired by Froebel, woodwork then spread to Scandinavia through the sloyd education movement. Woodwork remained an integral part of early education throughout the UK right through until the 1960s. The renewed interest in making and emphasis on creativity, along with a more balanced approach to health and safety, has encouraged an ever-increasing number of settings reintroducing woodwork.