Creating constructions with wood and using tools builds on children's knowledge and encompasses all areas of learning.

Woodwork is one of Froebel's Occupations - creative activities and experiences for young children.

"Through the Occupations, children can:

  • represent, be inventive and engage creatively and imaginatively
  • build their physical competencies
  • make links to everyday life, nature, knowledge and understanding
  • be empowered to move from the here and now to the abstract (so laying the foundations of literacy and mathematical understanding)
  • develop dispositions and attitudes that will benefit them in the adult world of work."

Prof. Tina Bruce and Jane Dyke, Learning from Froebel (2017)

Woodwork can provide endless opportunities for creative expression and developing design thinking.


"Woodwork captures children's curiosity and it has been particularly successful in engaging children who can be less confident and have more difficulty focusing. Giving a high level of trust and repsonsibility is empowering and woodwork can be key to unlocking children's motivation to learn..."

Pete Moorhouse
, The wonder of woodwork (2021)

A collection of woodwork related resources and guides for educators:

Creativity in early education

Creativity is about children representing their own ideas in their own way, supported by a nurturing environment and people.

Find out more about Froebelian principles

Woodwork allows children to develop an experimental mind-set and a 'can do' attitude. Educators can help children to assess risk for themselves and teach them safe ways of working with tools. Risk and challenge are important aspects of young children's learning.

Perseverance leads to deep joy in achievement and a powerful sense of agency...

Pete Moorhouse
Woodwork can play an important role in developing children's mathematical thinking and problem solving skills.