The Art of Whittling with Wildlings Forest School

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Whittling wood is one of the most calming and meditative crafts we do at Forest School. If you’ve ever taught in a classroom, you wouldn’t believe the calm, focus and engagement you’ll find in a whittling circle of usually rambunctious children. It has to be seen to be believed.

In this episode we talk about all things whittling: how to keep children safe when using pocket knives, which knives we recommend, how to take care of your knife, which wood to whittle, what to make and how old children can be to start whittling – the answer might just surprise you.

👉 Discussion Points

• The benefits of whittling and children owning a pocket knife
• Safety tips to keep children safe when using pocket knives
• Technique
• Which knives we recommend
• Knife care & safe storage
• Which wood to use
• Projects to whittle 
• Recommended starting age for children

👉 Purchase Pocket Knives & Whittling Tools Here:

• Opinel Wooden Peeler (great intro to whittling tool)
• My First Opinel Whittling Pocket Knife (our best seller and the knife we recommend for beginners)
• Opinel Classic No.8 Pocket Knife (a classic knife for older, more experienced children or adults)
• Alpine Leather Sheath (somewhere safe to keep your knife)
• Opinel Secatuers (the only kid proof ones we've ever found! These are virtually unbreakable)
• Opinel Folding Saw (a most excellent gift for the gardener - or adventurer in your family)

👉 Listeners Offer
Our Early Bird Offer for our Online Intro to Bush Kindy Course ends midnight Wed 28th October 2020!!

👉 Further Education
Book us for a workshop or consult to train your teachers/educators in the safe use of pocket knives for groups.

👉 Wildlings Forest School Contact Details

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Guest Details

Vicci Oliver and Nicki Farrell are adventurous nature play makers, risk-takers, children’s rights advocates and the co-founders of Wildlings Forest School. We are the hosts of the ‘Raising Wildlings’ podcast and we put the dirt back in childhood.

During any Wildlings Forest School program, you are likely to find Wildlings up trees, sliding down mud slides, whittling with pocket knives, lighting fires and building rafts. We let kids, be kids - because children can’t learn to protect nature if they’ve never had a childhood in it.

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Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.