A British Preschool Lets Students Use Real Hammer, Saws, and Drills Instead of Toys

Most preschoolers are busy playing with their remote control cars, brushing their dolls' hair, and developing their creative skills. Unlike those preschoolers, a British preschool let their students play real hammers and saw.

News at Popsugar said that the school manager named Barbara Corrigan introduced the unique playing ground two years ago and has been a great success for them. Corrigan said, "Can you imagine digging in the garden with a plastic spade or cutting a cucumber with a plastic knife and the frustration it could cause."

"We introduced real tools with the initial idea of providing real life experiences for our children. Incorporating these into the nursery environment has made it more inviting for the children, which in turn, has made them more focused and motivated to learn," she added. Corrigan sees the benefit in the student's gross motor skills; prewriting skills and communication are increased.

Corrigan also helps her students develop strengths in both arms and hands, which is beneficial when the students learn how to write. Some parents are worrying the protection of their child from those sharp objects. The school says they are well prepared and all students are supervised during tool play.

It can also give longer concentration as the students focus on their task. "It has been a long journey and taken a lot of time to educate both practitioners and parents, but they are now on board, understanding that the positives hugely outweigh the negatives and that safety is always our first priority," Corrigan said.

According to news reported in DayNurseries, York house nursery administration believes the "implementation of real tools" in the nursery setting improved children's learning. According to Kevin Harcombe, an author of "Risky Play," considering the benefits of the idea of "implementations of real tools" are two-fold.

"Most early years settings will have some plastic tools. This is fine, but how much more fun would real tools be? A real spade to dig with, a saw that actually cuts materials, a hand drill that makes holes, a hammer that's weighty enough to knock real nails into real wood," he added. The implementation promotes children's self-control and self-regulation.