Homeschoolers! – Come and learn some woodworking skills!
We have been running workshops with Homeschooled kids and families for many years – until the arrival of Covid. That changed everything. Now, here we are nearly 5 years later, and we are very pleased to be putting the wheels back on for Homeschoolers again! It is very exciting!
The thing to remember about these workshops and sessions with us, is it is not just about the “thing” which is being made. The project is really the medium for the kids to learn and experience many things, while using a wide range of traditional hand tools. Learning correct and efficent use of hand tools helps build body awareness. It gives kids a chance to use both macro and micro muscle movements, and creates opportunities for them to learn the subtle differences between these and how one interplays with the other. It is not just about using the right tool for the job, but also about using the right body position, techniques, and muscle movements for the tool as applied to the job at hand. This is all fantastic stuff for child development. We can also build into the workshop more maths, science, biology, literacy, and a bit of history. Hand tool woodworking is a wonderful educational medium, and we can tailor theworkshop for your group to suit the age of your kids and the educational outcomes you seek. Don’t just focus on the project, parents!
As we have sadly lost our “Heritage Woodcraft Centre” teaching space in Canning Vale, our Homeschooler courses and workshops are now mostly being run at the Stirling Women’s Shed facility in Scarborough.
Our “Introductory Woodworking” Course.
This introductory series of seven x 2 hour workshops, is for Homeschooled kids age 8 – 15. The plan is to run this course most terms in 2024. The students will learn how to use a wide range of traditional woodworking tools. These will include different types of planes and saws, whittling knives and carving tools, hammers and nails, drills and screws. Our talented and very experienced team member Tyson will be conducting this Course. For more details and bookings click this link: www.trybooking.com/eventlist/woodworkingworkshops
Completion of the Introductory Woodworking Course is a pre-requisite for the Basic Woodworking Course.
Basic Woodworking Course.
For those who have completed the Introductory Course, and are keen for more, the next course to undertake is the Basic Woodworking Course. Revise skills, learn new skills and use a wider range of traditional tools. This is about sequential skill building, and a lot of fun too. The Basic Woodworking Course is run over 7 x 2 hour sessions, in Scarborough, at the Striling Women’s Shed facility.
For more info and bookings, click on this link: www.trybooking.com/eventlist/woodworkingworkshops
Intermediate Woodworking Course.
Having completed the Basic Woodworking Course, this leads into the Intermediate Woodworking Course. The Basic course is a pre-requisite for the Intermediate Course, as you will need the skills you used in the previous two courses (Intro and Basic) in order to take part in the Intermediate Course. Each course offers more challenging projects, but this is possible because your skills and understandings are growing.
The Intermediate Course will be a pre-requisite to the Advanced Woodworking Course.
For more info and bookings, click on this link: www.trybooking.com/eventlist/woodworkingworkshops
Private Tuition and Therapeutic Woodworking.
We had been offering Private Tuition sessions at our Heritage WoodCraft Centre in Canning Vale for many 7 years, until the end of 2023. Having lost that facility, we now offer Private Tuition sessions at the Stirling Women’s Shed facility in Scarborough.
These Pivate Tuition sessions are of 2 hours duration, to which people come from all walks of life and all ages. Over the years we have worked with many Homeschooled students who have taken advantage of these wonderful opportunities. Within the Private Tuition we also offer Therapeutic Woodworking sessions. Many kids with Autism, Anxiety, ADDHD, and other areas of difference have found our teaching space to be a safe and supportive environment where they can be themselves and learn great woodworking skills while building their self-confidence. Some people are self funded, and some are funded under the NDIS.
Some people come for regular weekly sessions, some fortnightly, and some on an occaisional basis. Many Homeschooled kids have done regular Private Tuition with us. To explore the possibilities further, please email Greg Miller: greg@thejoyofwood.com.au
The fee for Private Tuition sessions with us is $260 incl.GST per 2 hour session. We have a deal where a sibling or friend can be brought along too, for no additional fee. That makes it a “two for one” offer! The condition is that both participants are working on similar projects to one another.
Private Workshops.
If you are part of a group or small network of Homeschoolers, we can offer you the opportunity for a Private Workshop. Come and have a great time together, working on a project of your choice together. These can be at the Stirling WOmen’s Shed facility in Scarborough, but we have also run these in libraries and community centres in various parts of Perth. We can come to you, but it is usually cheaper if you come to us. Is there a project your group would like to make together? Talk to us about it!
The thing to remember about these workshops, is it is not just about the “thing” which is being made. the project is really the medium for the kids to learn and experience many things, while using a wide range of traditional hand tools. Learning correct and efficient use of hand tools helps build body awareness. It gives kids a chance to use both macro and micro muscle movements, and creates opportunities for them to learn the subtle differences between these and how one interplays with the other. It is not just about using the right tool for the job, but also about using the right body position, techniques, and muscle movements for the tool as applied to the job at hand. This is all fantastic tools for child development. We can also build into the workshop more maths, science, biology, literacy, and a bit of history. Hand tool woodworking is a wonderful educational medium, and we can tailor theworkshop for your group to suit the age of your kids and the educational outcomes you seek. Don’t just focus on the project, parents!
If you are interested to explore the possibilities of a Private Workshop with us, then send an email to greg@thejoyofwood.com.au
In the past we have also run Private Workshops in librarys, community centres, and even in peoples’ back yards! However it can often be cheaper for you when they are conducted at the Stirling Women’s Shed in Scarborough. We will be happy to give you a quote and some ideas too. Unlike our Saturday Morning Public Workshops, which have a set price per head, Private Workshops are usually cheaper, depending on the numbers. It works best when you have one parent who is happy to be the co-ordinator for their small Homeschooling Network. They need to talk to us to discuss the possibilities. Email is best: greg@thejoyofwood.com.au
Public Workshops.
Most Saturday mornings, and occasionally in school holidays, we offer Public Workshops at The Striling Women’s Shed. These are available to women and to girls, commonly aged 8 upwards. They are mostly of 3 hours duration. At odd times we might offer full day workshops, when the subject matter requires it.
The Saturday morning Public Workshops are commonly open to women aged 8 to 98. These cover a wide range of projects, and can be found at http://www.thejoyofwood.com.au/workshops You and your child could come and participate together. We love intergenerational activities, so love having kids and adults sharing in experiences together.
There are times when we might offer some Public Workshops for kids in School Holidays. We used to run a lot of these, but they are less common these days. These too would be advertised in our FB feed, but we recommend you keep an eye on http://www.thejoyofwood.com.au/workshops
Other opportunities to plug your kids into.
Pre-Covid, The Joy of Wood was a regular presence at many festivals and public events from way back in 2009. We mostly offered free woodworking opportunities for kids and families. Think of lots of kid-sized benches, 28-32 hammers across these, a “Sawing Station” where there were 4-8 saws for the kids to use, and heaps of pieces of wood. The pounding of hammers would go on for the duration of the festival or event, and hundreds of kids would be walking away with amazing creations they had made… well, sometimes the kids were dragged reluctantly away by their parents who had had enough of waiting around for their kid who didn’t want to leave! Many of these festivals never recovered from the repeated Covid Cancellations.
Post-Covid, we have stepped back from many of the remaining festivals, and only do a few public events. Mostly now we do Heritage Gigs rather than the hammers and nails stuff. We love woodworking tools and the history of those tools, and the connection of those tools with our changing social history.
For example, this year on Sunday April 16 2023, we will once again be part of the Boorloo Heritage Festival in the City of Perth. For our 4th year in a row, The Joy of Wood will be providing interactive demonstrations and displays in at the Perth Town Hall. Bring the family along, it is free! Try your hand using a cross-cut saw. Use a Spokeshave on a Shaving Horse as if you are making a leg for a stool or chair. Try your hand on the foot-powered Double Spring Pole Lathe. Watch demonstrations and soak up the history. These activities reflect woodworking as it was in the mid to late 19th Century, around the time the Perth Town Hall was built using convict and free labour. It was opened in 1870.
Check out this video showing a bit of what we were doing there last year: https://youtu.be/nxN1NRlBpDo
