Well, this was a new experience ~ a birthday party for a ten-year-old and eleven of his friends (two of whom were six, and another was nine) ~ and what a hugely enjoyable day it was too. Whilst some people may flinch at the idea of this age group handling mallets and chisels, I’ve found that if you show trust in the children and clearly explain the dangers, they behave responsibly and sensibly and are no more likely to have accidents than adults or older children at least. Occasionally someone would give their thumb a thwack with the mallet, but only enough to provoke a light-hearted “ouch” ~ and they made sure it didn’t happen twice.
I prepared a dozen logs the day before, slicing the side off each one, and stripping an area of bark for the children to work on. The side was sliced off to restrict any “wobble”, as the logs were to be carved on a flat surface.
A fantastic set-up at the venue, with the great idea of kneeling-cushions for the children.
The group immediately took to their task and were soon well on the way with their carvings, so much so that the first two hours flew by. After a short break for lunch, whereupon I was treated to some delicious soup, it was back to work for the children who were demonstrating great enthusiasm and stamina too (4 hours of carving is quite heavy going for 6 – 10 year- olds!). I helped here and there with the outline of the reliefs, and of course demonstrating the new techniques now and again, but the youngsters showed real aptitude and patience in creating some wonderful sculptures.
All in all, it seemed as though the carving party was a great success, and very enjoyable it was too. Thank you to the family and friends who made me feel so welcome, and congratulations to the children for producing some amazing carvings!