WELCOME TO THE WOODWORK SECTION

The woodwork room can accommodate up to five young people at a time, overseen by a project worker and a volunteer. It is equipped with a comprehensive selection of hand-tools suitable for teaching all the basic aspects of carpentry. In sessions, children explore the unique structural qualities of timber and learn to appreciate how it differs from the other materials they are able to use at Kids Kabin – clay, fabric, card etc.

Even the simplest project requires the maker to employ a range of skills that will have a beneficial impact in many areas of their education and personal development:

• The starting point is usually a design on paper, promoting creativity and self-expression.
• Next, the design must be transferred to the timber components. This involves marking-out and measuring, developing numeracy and basic maths. It also requires the maker to translate a mental picture or two-dimensional drawing into three-dimensional form – no small conceptual feat.
• The components must now be cut out, as we do not use electric saws a fair amount of physical exertion may be required.
• At the construction stage, more often than not, some unforeseen structural difficulties occur. In this event, the maker must do some problem solving to get the project back on course.
• Throughout the construction process the need to be aware of the health and safety implications of using sharp and heavy tools is constantly emphasised.
• Upon completion, the piece may then go to the art room to be painted, or it may have more components created in other media – e.g. a doll’s house has become an ongoing project acquiring fabric, ceramic, card and paper accessories.

The end result of this complex process is not only a piece of woodwork, but a source of pride and accomplishment for its creator.