Three fundamental principles are to be noted:
1. All is grist that comes to the mill of the handworker.
2. The one element that will transform any object or combination of objects into a created product is imagination.
3. The purpose in the children’s handwork is not the production of finished products, but creative self-activity, invention, self-reliance, the making of things to use, the utilizing of materials found in the environment, the putting of ideas into concrete form, the acquisition of dexterity with the hands, the development of brain centers through use of the hands.
The nursery, playroom or yard should have a corner for tools and materials adapted to the muscles of small hands and arms. A workbench of a height adapted to the child at each stage of his development, can be purchased at the large hardware stores, or can be made from a heavy packing box. Tools should be kept in good condition, and materials neatly shelved. The child at two years can begin to keep his workshop in good order.
Forms of handwork. The suggested list begins with the simpler forms and continues to the more difficult, in each group.
Painting: using a house-painter’s brush for real or imaginary (with water) painting; freehand painting of pictures; painting in of large, simple drawings, made with heavy line
Drawing: freehand drawing of known or imagined objects; illustrating stories; copying simple borders or geometric designs; creating borders, patterns for wall paper, or other decoration
Paper tearing: simple circles, household utensils, tools, animals, trees, dolls
Paper cutting: as in paper tearing, when child can easily handle blunt-pointed scissors (about five years); cutting out pictures with heavy outline (not under five years)