It is a good time to be establishing foundations of health. With the current conditions happening around the world, there is a need to check not just physical health but also the mental wellness of children. They are the ones not used to being idle all day. Being cooped up all day and having all that energy without letting it out can have adverse effects to their health.
A well-rounded child needs more than just physical health. Although physical health is indeed important, getting enough sleep, proper diet, hygiene, exercise, children also need strong mental and emotional foundations for a positive outlook and perspective.
Now that staying outside at all times is not possible, we need more creative ways to engage them indoors. Board games may not be welcome all the time and it needs more than two players to really be exciting. Gadgets are not ideal for long term use. Building something from scratch is a good way to teach children patience and imagination. To quiet the mind, one must make busy their hands. Simple woodworking is a step up from blocks and playing legos.
Woodworking is a practical skill that will enhance imagination. It develops gross and fine motor skills. It increases the ability to focus. It improves mathematical and reasoning skills, not to mention learning sharing and teamwork. Teaching children woodworking needs some supervision at the start to instill the basics and safety guidelines. After some time they can be left on their own with sporadic checking up.
Woodworking as a hobby engages, educates and entertains children for hours. A completed item boosts self-esteem and pride everytime they look at it. Gradual steps to more challenging projects makes the children look forward to improving their craft. They learn design and customisation by integrating different materials into their product. They learn responsibility and respect for materials used by taking care of their tools.
Working with their hands relieves stress and forces the brain to be calm as they focus on their task. Creating tangible products satisfies children making them feel good and proud that they made it. They feel a sense of completion and pleasure upon finishing and might be encouraged to do more complex projects.
Woodworking is one of the hobbies that teaches life skills and could one day be a career in itself. Both as a hobby and a career, one can choose to do projects alone or with a team. One thing is for sure, woodworking is never going to be out of style.