Teaching kids skills like whittling from an early age has a ton of benefits, beyond the obvious that it’s super fun and you can make cool wooden figures! 

I've been working on a little guide to help you (and your family) to get started on what I know will be your kids new favourite hobby. 

Read on for some simple tips to help with sourcing the right tools, choosing the best timber for your project, and making sure everyone stays safe whilst they are whittling.

If you need a reason to try out wood whittling, here are just a few...

• Builds fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination
• Encourages patience and focus
• Boosts creativity and problem solving skills
• Develops responsibility and respect for tools
• Helps kids develop perseverance when carrying out more complex tasks
• Builds an understanding of risk taking and safety
• Reduces inactive/screen time and encourages outdoor time

It's a good idea to start with simple projects and allow kids to slowly build skills and confidence before trying more complex creations.

We don’t want to set them up to fail and find a project too difficult and become discouraged from trying again. Whittling is one of those skills that needs practice. Ensure your kids know that they may need to do a few practice pieces to get a feel for using the whittling knife and learning some technique. This way, they will be encouraged by their progress and not discouraged when a new project doesn't turn out quite the way they expected.

You can find a good range of easy projects in the Nature Craft Series of five books by Your Wild Books with some ideal for beginners and other activities suited to older kids, or those with a little more experience.

Here's a few of my favourites:

- Making a stick family (Wild Projects For Families)

- Santa and elves (Wild Celebrations)

- Ring toss game (Wild Projects For Families)

- Spinning tops (Wild Craft Club)

- Pick up sticks (Wild Child)

Find more whittling activities in the Nature Craft books series

Did you know that we have a growing library of free downloads, templates and printables that make incorporating nature play into your day even easier?

When you subscribe to the free Wild Club, you receive a link with access to our library of over 35 kid friendly, nature inspired downloads.

We regularly add free downloads, like the full 7 page whittling guide, so if you're already a Wild Club subscriber, don't forget to check your emails to be in the know when a new freebie drops!