When we begin a project with children, the starting point shapes everything that follows. Children are not just shown a result, they are invited into the full process of making. They witness how something ordinary can slowly become something meaningful.
At Outdoor School Istanbul, this journey began with a simple request. In our kindergarten’s entrance area stood an old seed library. Over time, it had faded into the background, no longer catching the children’s attention. We, the children and teacher of the Red Mulberry Group, wanted to create a new one.
The children, aged three to five, started by imagining. We brainstormed how the new seed library could look, experimenting with recycled materials and small wooden boards to design different versions. Ideas were discussed, tested and finally voted on. Once a design was chosen, the children measured the wall in the entrance area. Using a folding ruler, they read the numbers, called them out loud and together we noted the height, width, and depth needed for the new structure. These measurements turned into a written plan and a shopping list for the hardware store.
A visit to the hardware store followed, where the children found the materials they had planned for. Back at kindergarten, the real work began. With saws, drills, sanding paper, screws and wooden boards, the children worked step by step on the construction. They cut boards to size, sanded rough edges until the surfaces felt smooth and carefully drilled screws into the wood, watching them disappear as the pieces slowly came together.
Throughout the process, the children noticed how much effort it takes to saw through wood, how sanding transforms roughness into smoothness and how satisfying it feels to use a tool with purpose. Over the course of two weeks, they experienced the full transformation, from individual wooden boards to a finished seed library standing proudly in the entrance area.
Emotionally, the project was filled with excitement and joy. Using real tools and visiting the hardware store made the work feel important and real. When the seed library was finished, the children proudly showed it to the other groups, explaining how they had built it and what each part was for.
Projects like this remind us that meaningful learning does not happen instantly. In a world where ready-made solutions are everywhere, slowing down allows children to understand how things are made, how planning leads to action and how patience turns ideas into reality. Measuring, planning, problem-solving and using tools safely are not just project steps, they are essential life skills.
By working with wood, even in a simple project, children gain confidence in their abilities and trust in the process of making. We hope this encourages other educators to bring woodworking into their classrooms and outdoor spaces, allowing children the time, tools, and responsibility to build something real.
Matthias Rank