This course is meant as an introduction for young people to the various tools and simple skills involved in working with wood. We will start with an introduction to common tools, stressing safety for both the child and the tools. We'll practice some common skills like sawing, drilling, and carving. Then we will move on to an introductory project that allows for a large amount of creative design choices, and that the students will paint and decorate as they see fit. Following the Slöjd education model, the instructor will not touch the student’s work unless specifically requested, allowing them to complete the project wholly by themselves. We hope that this course will serve as either an empowering start or an invigorating catalyst to a lifelong relationship with hand tools and craftwork. The instructor, father of three budding craftspeople, notes, "I stress safety and fun in the woodshop, and deemphasize perfection, hoping that young people will want to come back again and again." 

The course is typically co-taught with a young teaching assistant who has significant woodworking experience, the combination of perspectives allows for a very comfortable learning environment 

This class is for kids only, ages 10+.