Materials
Small, lightweight hammer
Nails
Soft wood such as pine, one 6" x 4" (15 cm x 10 cm) piece per child
Fabric scraps
Glue
Child's photograph
Instructions
What to do
1. Demonstrate how to safely hammer a nail into a piece of wood.
2. Invite the children one at a time to select a piece of fabric. Hand them a piece of wood, a couple
of nails, and the hammer.
3. Under your close supervision, have the first child place the fabric on top of the wood, then
hammer the nails through the fabric into the wood.
4. When the nails are pounded into the child's strip of wood, securing the fabric, invite the rest of
the class to take a turn, under continued supervision.
5. Encourage the children to glue their photographs in the middle of the wood, against the fabric
background.
More to do
Guest: Invite an upholsterer or a carpenter to class and ask them to demonstrate their trade.
Invite a parent or carpenter to help the class build birdhouses.
More art: Substitute hooks for the nails and make a key rack; drill holes through two corners and
insert twine or wire to hang. Create miniature flannel boards with wood, felt, and a staple gun.
