Tuffkid Nursery’s woodwork bench, with its wood, nails and hammer, screws and various tools is a favourite activity. But don’t be alarmed. The benefits are huge.

According to leading pre-school education magazine, Nursery World, woodwork is having a resurgence. While nurseries in New Zealand and Scandinavia have always offered woodwork, the practice stopped in the UK following concerns about health and safety.

Woodwork teaches risk taking and problem solving, it says, while using real tools increases self-esteem and confidence and accomplishing tasks brings a sense of pride.

At Tuffkid, children have a safety briefing and child-friendly images on the wall are used to clarify good practice. Only two children are allowed at the bench at any one time and safety goggles are compulsory.

Janice Marriott, Tuffkid Nursery Head said: “We’ve had a woodwork bench for many years. Children – both boys and girls – like to use real hammers, real nails and a real saw. After seeing carpentry at home, they become keenly interested.

“The children know they must follow the rules and focus extremely hard. They become surprisingly good at controlling the hammer so they don’t miss the nail. We have measuring tapes so the children can see the length of the wood, and a selection of nails for them to choose the right one for the job. Woodwork really improves the children’s concentration and benefits their gross and fine motor skills.”