It Wood Be Fun: Woodworking with Children

by Michael Bentinck-smith

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0982073208
• ISBN13: 9780982073209
• Release Date: January 2010
• Publisher: Martin and Lawrence Press
• Length: 120 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 6.9" x 9.8"

Customer Reviews

The nation needs to return to the colonial way of life, when a wife was judged by the amount of wood

My husband and son enjoy doing man projects together, so I got this for them. I am not the handiest of women, but while skimming through the pages after receiving the book, I knew I could do these projects, too. The author gives you all the direction you need to complete your woodworking projects. He outlines the tools and materials needed, the time it will take to complete the project, and then gives you step by step instructions going so far as to tell you what parts are better for the adult to take over, and what parts the kids can do. There are helpful pictures and even some comments at the end to congratulate your finished project, or tell you how to switch up a design. This book is definitely for amateurs and the tool list he suggests you use are all manual. I would think all the tools are what most people have in their homes already, I know we did. We were even able to make some of the projects even easier by using electrical tools here and there. For the most part we stayed with the manual tools so that my son could do the majority of the work. Written by a woodworking teacher with over 40 years experience, this book is idiot proof. The instructions are so clear and easy to follow it's impossible to screw up! Cherise Everhard, August 2010

It is Fun

Bentick-Smith, Michael. "It Wood Be Fun: Woodworking With Children", Martin and Lawrence Press, 2010. It Is Fun Amos Lassen Written by a woodworking teacher for five through ten year olds, "It Wood Be Fun" gives both ideas and instructions for several woodworking projects for children and their parents. Such ideas include simple things like shelves to more complicated things like rocking horses and robots. This is an excellent guide that shows how to get young children involved in woodworking projects and the author does this by showing parents how to create a work and storage area that is sized for a child and he says which tools and materials are needed and involved); what kind of wood should be used and how to care for and use the tools. For the projects themselves the instructions look at ability level, the time each project should take, the materials and tools needed for each project for each project, a description of the project, the steps that are involved and any additional comments that he wants to add. There are several nice features to the book. The projects are listed according to difficulty from the simplest to the most demanding. There are also suggestions for other projects that come out of those in the book. "It Wood Be Fun" is filled with a lot of fun projects that will introduce children to the fun of woodworking. Bentinck-Smith adds much of his philosophy about the value of woodworking in a young person's life and also discusses behavioral issues that he has encountered and gives advice on these. Aside from a few errors and the content is excellent and I can see kids having fun with this.

Gem of a book!

I have to admit I am not very handy when it comes to making anything. If I do give it a shot it usually looks like, well who knows what! As I read this book I was amazed at what was presented to me. Perhaps I too could learn to make something beautiful. Bentinck-Smith takes you on a journey into the wonderful world of creativity using wood. Within the pages of this outstanding book you will slowly and carefully be taken into a world that, if you are like me, you never thought you dared to travel. Take heart, it is a really great journey. This book is written for an adult to share an experience with children working with wood, and you will be amazed at what you learn. Our author worked with children in this area and learned how to tap into their creative abilities, their willingness to produce a work that they can be proud of, and shares his knowledge of tapping into a child's imagination and letting them bring it forth. Within the pages of this book, he explains the tools used, how to measure, safety and the pure joy of accomplishment that a child will feel when their project is completed. However, he also brings out the joy any adult will experience sharing this work with children. This is a great book that will benefit any dad, granddad, or any adult who wants to share experiences with children of their hearts. I believe it isn't just for those who have knowledge of woodworking, but due to the simplicity of the instructions, all can partake and enjoy the outcome. Yes, I do believe both you and I could actually do it. If you are looking for creative ways to give your children confidence, have a sharing experience, and just a great time, this work is for you.Great book, new and exciting, perhaps not your norm, but well worth your time. Highly Recommended!

It IS Fun

Geared towards five through ten year olds and written by a former woodworking teacher, "It Wood Be Fun" gives instructions for several woodworking projects for children and their parents. Projects include things like a platform; sign; boat; bookshelf; lamp; rocking horse; doll house; bird house; robot; castle; and more. "It Wood Be Fun" is an excellent guide for getting young children involved in woodworking projects. Author Michael Bentinck-Smith starts by showing parents (or other adults) how to create a work and storage area (make sure you make it child-sized). He also lists tools and materials you need (no power tools are involved); what kind of wood to use; and how to care for and use various tools. When it comes to the projects themselves the instructions include: ability level; approximate time each project should take; materials needed for the project; tools needed for each project; description of the project; the steps involved in making the project; and any additional comments Bentinck-Smith has about the project. "It Wood Be Fun" has several nice features. Bentinck-Smith arranges the projects in order of difficulty beginning with the easiest and simplest so beginning woodworkers won't get frustrated as they learn. His instructions are easy to follow. Besides the finished projects, he often suggests other projects that can be made from the finished one (for example, a simple box can become a bookshelf, garage, cat box, jail, etc.) There are a wide variety of projects included in the book and there will be something to delight every child (and may form lasting memories as well as a lifelong interest in woodworking). There are a couple of things I do wish the book had. One is bigger patterns - I can't draw (at all) and it would be nice to work from full-sized (or at least larger) patterns that I could cut out. Also, while the book is full of helpful drawings it would have been nice to have photographs of the finished projects to reference. However, these are minor quibbles in an otherwise very useful book. "It Wood Be Fun" is filled with a lot of fun projects that will introduce children to the joy of woodworking.

This is an excellent book to help anyone with basic woodworking skills to instruct and "work success

Many children would love to be able to create something made of wood, but the opportunity to participate in a woodworking class may not always be available to them. With this book, "It Wood Be Fun: Woodworking with Children," there is ample opportunity for any adult with basic woodworking skills to create learning modules and instruct children of varying ages how to express themselves creatively in a wood medium. Bentinick-Smith's philosophy, garnered from many years of working with children, says "Let's keep the kids in charge." This unusual approach has made for many gratifying woodworking experiences for numerous children, some as young as five years of age. Bentinck-Smith has great respect for children, yet acknowledges that they must "make choices and [take] responsibility for their own work." The first thing on the agenda, even before considering which projects to work on, is to create a work and storage area. He recommends certain design considerations, including accommodations for the left-handed child. The author's own interest began when he experimented with his grandfather's tools, a pastime that "began a lifelong interest and affection for tools and putting them to creative use." (P. 20) An in depth, careful discussion on each tool to purchase for a child's toolbox makes it easy to prepare for a meaningful woodworking experience. A list of tools, materials, and a "shopping list, (at times brand name specific) makes it easy for the beginning instructor who will need to go on a shopping excursion. Each recommended tool is carefully discussed with accompanying diagrams. For example, when discussing the block plane, we read about a price range, a description of its use, technique, and care of this tool. Projects are arranged from the simplest to the more advanced. Projects include: fantasy projects, a platform, sign, boat, box, bookshelf, shield, bookends, shoes, lamp, rocking horse, table, airplane, dollhouse, chair, birdhouse, car, desk, robot, castle, and mailbox. Simply stated, "The best part about it: children have a wonderful time woodworking and don't realize they are learning important life skills along the way." This is an excellent book to help anyone with basic woodworking skills to instruct and "work successfully with young children." I like the fact that the author actually has worked with children for a number of years. Many books I see of this nature, simply "think up" projects without regard to the feasibility of teaching them to young children. These projects, including a couple created by children, have a proven track record in an actual school setting. Bentinck-Smith throws in much of his philosophy about the value of woodworking in a young person's life, but also discusses behavioral issues he has encountered and gives advice on that as well. There were several typos in the book, but I was not overly concerned with them. The content was what I was took a careful look at. This book was fu