if you are going to let the children use a hammer to drive in real nails, try rubbing each nail against a candle enough to coat it well with wax: the wax will allow the nail to be driven in much easier! check out a lumber yard near you for scrap wood pieces. ask for a discount on some heavy-duty sand paper- ask the parents for scraps, too. ask around also for nuts, bolts, things like that. pre-drill into the wood pieces, and let the kids have fun fitting on the correct nut (or is it bolt?) to each! How about tracing tools shapes onto construction paper and cutting them out and covering with clear contact paper and use for decorations on the wall such as a border around a window. Another idea is to use the shapes as a matching game the shape to the outline. Just trace the shape to the construction paper and cut out and then just trace a shape to another piece of construction paper and let them match them. You could copy a bunch of small tools from a clipart or coloring book and cut them out and let them glue them onto a paper for a tool collage. There are alot of small pictures in the preschool workbooks you can buy at the discount stores like WalMart etc... How about using the shapes for a mobile for your room? A really fun thing for little ones...is to have thick pieces of styrofoam - and give the kids plastic (or small, or play) hammers and let them pound golf tees into the styrofoam. It's easy, and they can pull them right out to do it again. Make the foam pieces large enough to make many holes (large squares or rectangles work best). Thinner styrofoam can also be cut with a small hand held saw. I went to a workshop on tools once....and the teacher just put the kids between her knees to supervise, and help them by holding their arms...(not the tool) and let them go to town (always using the correct motions-that most of us wouldn't know). We teased her about doing workshops FOR TEACHERS..to learn the ins and outs of tools. She had saws (some were big) and hammers, and hand powered drills, and levels, and rulers, and safety glasses and nails and glue....and it was one of their workstations, always up and running....always carefully supervised. She promised that in 40 years her kids never had an accident....hummmmmm.... then of course, they could paint or use marker on their creations. She always had lots of little pieces of things for them to glue on or hammer on......styrofoam pieces, very thin wood pieces....whatever. It was very impressive...but impossible to keep up with, with only one or two teachers in the room at once. She always had a parent or two helping each day as well......as the station was always well supervised. Also, she "taught" the kids how to's and safety...first. and made sure they used their bodies for leverage...like when using the drill, it rested on their stomachs and they could push, as they turned the handle. If you have husbands who know tools or men friends...talk to them about what to start with. Carpenter This is the way he saws the wood (making saw motion) Sawing, sawing, sawing. This is the way he nails the nail (making hammering motion) Nailing, nailing, nailing. This is the way he paints the house (making a brushing motion) Painting, painting, painting. The Carpenters Tools The carpenter's hammer goes rap, rap, rap. (making a hammering motion.) And is his/her saw goes see, saw, see. (making a sawing motion) He/she planes and hammers and saws, (make motion for each) While he/she builds a builing for me. (point to self). TOOL unit: * Make tool dominoes. Each domino should picture two tools. Each child draws a card and matches it to another card, (hammer to hammer, pliers to pliers, saw to saw, etc). Continue as in dominoes. * Toolbox Game Put one tool in a toolbox and sit in front of children. Hold toolbox up to one child, quickly open box, let child see tool, and close box. Have child tell which tool he saw. Put two tools in toolbox. Let child see the tools and close box. Open and remove one tool. let child look in the box and tell which tool is missing. * Let each child make a toolbox out of a shoe box. Let children pain or color toolbox and tear or cut out pictures of different tools and put in box. Write "Adam's Tool Box" on the side. * "Turn the Screw" Song (tune "London Bridge) 1. Turn the screw with the screwdriver, with the screwdriver, with the screwdriver, Turn the screw with the screwdriver, We work with our tools. 2. Hammer the nail with the hammer, with the hammer, with the hammer, Hammer the nail with the hammer, We work with our tools. 3. Saw the wood with the saw.... 4. Tighten the bolt with the pliers...... 5. Paint the wall with the paintbrush...... * Tool Song (tune: "Old MacDonald") Susie Jones had some tools. This I know. With a turn, turn here, And a turn, turn there Here a turn, there a turn, Everywhere a turn, turn, Susie Jones had some tools, This I know. And in ther toolbox she had a hammer. This I know. With a hammer, hammer, here, and a hammer, hammer, there ..... And in her toolbox she had a saw. This I know. With a saw, saw, here, and a saw, saw, ther..... And in her toolbox she had some pliers. This I know. With a pull, pull, here, and a tighten, tighten, there..... And in her toolbox she had a brush. This I know. With a brush, brush, here, and a brush, brush, there..... Substitute the children's names in song and look in children's "toolboxes" as the song is sung. * Tool Box Song (tune "Hokey Pokey") First you take your hammer out of the toolbox. Then you take the pliers and screwdriver out. Don't forget the saw and the paintbrush, too! Then you hammer, pull, saw, paint and screw. Then you put your hammer back in the box. Remember the plier and screwdriver. Don't forget the saw and paintbrush too! And now you know what, you're all through. Sing song as children remove and put back their "tools" in their toolboxes. Stop singing after each tool is mentioned to give the children time to follow the activity. HAMMERS "Hammer A Nail" Song (tune: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star) Hammer, hammer, hammer, hammer, Hammer a nail into the wood. Hammer, hammer, hammer, hammer, Be careful no to hit your finger! Hammer, hammer, hammer, hammer, Hammer a nail into the wood. "Hammer the Nail" Song (tune "Row, Row, Row Your Boat) Hammer the nail into the wood, Hammer, hammer, hammer. Hammer the nail into the wood, Hammer, hammer, hammer. * Use department store and hardware store tool catalogs--make a tool collage. SAW * "I am Cutting with My Saw" Song (tune "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star") Saw, saw, saw, saw, I am cutting with my saw. See the sawdust on the ground, Hear the saw make a cutting sound. Saw, saw, saw, saw, I am cutting with my saw. * Use sawdust to make a picture. Let the children make designs on colored construction paper with glue and a paintbrush, shake sawdust on glue and shake off excess. * for snack: let the children "saw" food for snack using plastic knives. Such things as cheese, bananas * let two children hold both hands facing each other and be a "saw" going back and forth. PLIERS * "With Your Pliers" Song (tune: "There's A tavern in the Town" Pull out the nail with your pliers, with your pliers. Tighten the bolt with your pliers, with your pliers. Show me what you can do. Can do with your pliers, with your pliers. * let children pull golf tees (nails) out of styrofoam with child-sized pliers. PAINTBRUSH * Let children paint with different sized paintbrushes * Paint a fence or building with water and paintbrushes * Hand child sized tools on a pegboard when not in use. Have the outline of the tool drawn on the pegboard. Children take turns putting up the tools. Child must match tool to its outline. * Wear painters' caps (free from paint stores). * Sort tools Here are some ideas that I have used, It may seem like a dull unit but the kids really enjoy it. MONDAY: Present children with a tray full of assorted tools: garden, household,woodworking etc. Ask what they are used for? What thier names are? Pick up each item and have them state the purpose for each. Give the children trays of nuts and bolts (various sizes) have them sort and connect. Children use various class room tools to make a collage with paper punch, scissors, ruler, stapler etc. Songs: Johnny pounds with one hammer. TUESDAY: Discuss how tools make jobs easier. What kind of tools would we use to bake a cake? Plant a seed? Build a home? Make and bake a cake using some of the tools mentioned. Dip wooden blocks into tempera paint to make pictures. Children use their bodies to imitate movements of different tools. Slowly turn around like screwdrivers, bend up and down and bob like a hammer etc. WEDNESDAY: Give children all sorts of tools to sort by use, size,color,function to name a few. Use gardening tools to plant a small garden or flower bed. Name tools and fuction as you plant. Let children freeplay with tools and clay. THURSDAY: Put tools into a bag(NO SHARP ONES) let each child take a turn reaching into bag to guess what it maybe and of course it's function. Give children objects to sort into pairs: Hammer-Nails eggbeater-- Eggs Screwdriver-Screws Have wheelbarrow races outdoors FRIDAY: Discuss safety rules that should be followed when using tools such as hammers, saws, and rakes. Why are these danerous? Why do you suppose construction men wear hardhats? Play hot patato using tools as music plays pass it along. When the music stops name it and the function. Use sand in the sensory table and dig for items using forks and spoons. a hardware store near my school donated lots and lots of cloth aprons. the aprons were the sort that adults were around their waist only- not he full covering type. they fit well on the kids, though! * Here is an idea I have used with the Theme of Tools: "Bring your hammer to school day" (Seriously, we put in the newsletter that anyone who wanted to could bring a hammer to school. Of course, we had extras for those who couldn't) I provided wood scraps, nails and rubber bands. The children hammered the nails into the wood anyway they liked, using only one side. Then they used the rubber bands to make shapes by stretching them between the nails. This is similar to a geoboard. The children loved having their own and we used the term "geoboard". They needed a little bit of help with the hammering, but it was fun. I did ask my husband to sand the ends of the wood scraps to reduce the risk of splinters. Also, I attended a workshop once where the presenter said her favorite day of the year was :TOOL DAY, where each of the children was asked to bring a tool to school and explain what it was for. She printed the responses and sent them home to parents. She said it was very interesting to see the variety of tools that came to school, especially when children were allowed to choose their own. It was also fun to hear what the children thought the tools were used for! Again, remember the song "Johnny Pounds with one Hammer". That's always a favorite! A fun SNACK to make : "Hammers":--use cheese cubes and stick pretzels. Let the cheese come to room temp. to soften a little, then children add the stick pretzels for the hammer handles.If the cheese isn't a little soft, the pretzels will break. Another project:I remember in college I made a simple boat using a wood scrap (sort of square), 2 nails, rubber band and a round piece of plastic cut from a butter tub lid. Lay the square flat, pound two nails side by side at the end. The rubber band will stretch between the two nails. Then wind it up, around and around,by inserting the round plastic piece in the middle of the rubber band and let it go in the water. The plastic is a propeller of sorts. I have never done this, but this boat surely could be made with soap bars, maybe strong toothpicks? instead of nails or swizzle stick pieces? as an alternative to wood. I hope this is clear. If not, e-mail me and I'll try again. After all, I made this about 20 years ago. One of those things that you think you will do some time. I think I WILL next year, because it did work and it was fun! I have a small plastic wading pool I thought we could launch the boats in. * This is a cute song for tools and easy to remember. tune of mulberry bush This is the way we saw our wood, saw our wood, saw our wood. This is the way we saw our wood, so early in the morning. other verses pound our nails, drill a hole use a screwdriver, etc. Art We used a set of minature tools to make tool prints with paint. We also made a shadow tool match bulletin board.