Hammering Nails -Great Way to Burn Energy & Raise Self-Esteem

The first time I was in a Waldorf Kindergarten classroom I saw a tree stump off to the side of the room.  Interested, I went over to investigate.  The top of the stump was covered with nails.  Beside the stump was a wooden basket with a small hammer and a tin of nails.  I thought, “Do they actually let little kids use a real hammer here?  That seems a little unsafe.”  As it turns out, they did allow small children, as young as four and five years old, to use a real hammer and nails. They actually encouraged it!

Children know the difference between plastic toy tools and real ones.  Using real tools to do real work sends a few messages to a child.  The first one is, I think you are old enough to handle a real tool.  I have found that children ‘live up’ to our expectation of them.  Waldorf teachers are masters of setting the stage and pouring meaning into simple rituals.  The act of giving a child a real tool can be done in a way that conveys the message of responsibility and trust.

When children realize the value of the gift, they take their new role very seriously. Young kids are masters of imitation and therefore can observe an adult use a tool safely to learn proper technique. A few verbal directions and a good model is enough to teach a child how to be cautious.

The second message sent is, ‘I trust you’.  Children can feel the importance and the power the hammer possesses.  They are careful to use the hammer for its intended use only.

Engaging in real work that is physically taxing is a wonderful way to work out feelings of frustration or anger for a young child. Digging a deep hole with a shovel, moving dirt in a wheelbarrow, carrying wood, or hammering nails are all fantastic outlets for a child’s pent up energy.

Hammering nails can become rhythmic (once you get the hang of it) and is very satisfying.  You can actually see the direct result of your expelled energy as the nail moves into the wood after each whack of the hammer.

I set up a woodworking center in my home daycare to support the idea of children using real tools. My neighbour had a tree he was cutting up so I asked for a stump. Then, I included some spare pieces of wood (my father suggested I choose soft woods like cedar.  It would be easier for the nails to go through soft woods for my beginner wood workers).  I added some nails with big heads, a pencil and a tape measure.  I put the tools in a basket that can easily be lifted up high when the room needs to be baby safe.

I must admit, I was still a bit worried even though I’ve seen this type of wood working centre set up in a Waldorf school.  It turned out to be a fantastic addition to our home daycare.  The hammer and nails are available whenever the mood strikes and have been used frequently.  There was one small whack on the thumb in the beginning but it was a minor blip in the whole process.  My son received a child sized tool belt for his birthday from his grandparents and loves to wear it while he is working.

Happy Hammering Everyone!