Whittling

Zac got his first Swiss Army knife yesterday, which is a key milestone for a child. I spent several months thinking about it before deciding that he was old enough. Coincidentally, the age of 11 is actually perfect for learning to whittle because in Waldorf we study Botany in fifth grade. Tree identification!

Once you start working wood with your hands, you realize how absolutely essential tree identification is. This year in Botany we were going to focus on foraging for food and herbal medicines, but I think I will add in tree identification in the context of woodworking as well. See my past blog post Tree Identification and A Reverence for Wood.

I put together a whole pile of books for Zac with woodworking information and projects he might want to tackle. They are

Forest Craft: A Child's Guide to Whittling in the Woodland
by Richard Irvine

The Colonial Woodworker
by Laura Sullivan

Diary of an Early American Boy, Noah Blake
by Eric Sloane (1805)

A Museum of Early American Tools
by Eric Sloane

The Forgotten Arts & Crafts: Skills from Bygone Days
by John Seymour

The American Boy's Handy Book: What to Do and How to Do It
by Daniel Carter Beard (1890)

He didn't want to put down The American Boy's Handy Book long enough for me to photograph it. 😊 Let me know if you have others to recommend!

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