The amazing benefits of carpentry on a developing child far outweigh the potential for the challenges involved in introducing woodworking to your centre. For children aged 4 and older, carpentry can be taught and safely experimented with, just as in any other area of the classroom.

Walk into any Early Childhood Centre, or family play room and you're almost guaranteed to see building blocks. They may come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours (and it's best they do!) but the important role they play in a child's development is universal.

It seems you can’t go into any home, or early childhood centre and find a sandpit that doesn’t have a digger or dump truck half buried in sand.  They hold a special fascination with children and Dana Villamagna from Toca Magazine explains in her article entitled ‘Why Kids Dig Trucks’ a possible theory as to why;

New Zealand is a country that inspires families to be outdoors, enjoying the bounty of nature around us. Even in today’s society we have very different childhoods to those ten or even twenty years ago.

Sensory play is one of the best tools for cognitive development in a child’s education. It helps
that when summer comes around there is such an abundance of opportunities for the children to
splash and play.