Working with Wood in ECE with Pete Moorhouse

Woodworking in early childhood can feel like a big leap – for educators and for programs.

In this episode, I sit down with early years creative consultant, researcher, and author Pete Moorhouse to explore what woodworking can actually look like in practice – and why it matters.

With over 25 years of experience, Pete shares how hands-on experiences with real tools support children’s creativity, problem solving, focus, and confidence in ways that go far beyond what we often see in traditional classroom materials.

We dive into:

• Why woodworking is making a global comeback in early years

• How to safely introduce tools to young children

• The difference between risk and danger

• The role of the educator in open-ended, hands-on learning

• Why children need more opportunities to work with their hands

This conversation is both practical and thought-provoking – especially if you’ve ever felt unsure about introducing something new into your classroom.

PETE MOORHOUSE

Pete Moorhouse is an early years creative consultant, researcher, author and artist educator based in the UK.  He is an associate trainer for Early Education delivering training nationally and overseas and is also a Froebel Tutor for the Froebel Trust. His work in school is centred around nurturing children's creativity inspired by Froebelian principles and the approach in Reggio Emilia. Pete is a leading authority on woodwork in Early Years education and has written several books and journal articles, including ‘Learning Through Woodwork’ (Routledge) as well as books on outdoor learning. He is currently working his latest book – ‘Creativity in Practice: Nurturing creative and critical thinking in early childhood education’. He was awarded an honorary research fellowship from the University of Bristol and is currently researching creative progression in early education. Pete was also awarded a Churchill Fellowship to undertake international research into best woodworking practices in education. Pete won the national award (2019) from the Creative Learning Guild for his work promoting creativity in education and is Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

LINKS

Pete’s Website: https://irresistible-learning.co.uk/

Woodworking Course: https://irresistible-learning.co.uk/woodwork-cpd-online-course/ 

Woodworking Book: 

https://amzn.to/4d1vx0t (CANADA) 

https://store.northhouse.org/products/learning-through-woodwork-20acc (UK)

https://www.amazon.com/Learning-Through-Woodwork-Introducing-Creative/dp/1138071102 (US)

Books with positive roles of girls & women with tools: https://irresistible-learning.co.uk/resource/girl-power-tools-booklist/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrresistibleLearningEYs 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pete-moorhouse-72b36214/ 

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