It would be difficult to estimate which is more vital to the success of a shop program—an appealing project, or stimulating leadership. Here we shall deal with some of the more important factors which should be considered in selecting or developing a wood shop project for children. How these factors rank in importance will be determined by the size and character of the group to be served.

Certainly one of the most important requirements for a wood project is that it be something the child really wants to build. In many cases, the desirability of the suggested article may be the principal source of motivation for the wood shop session. The project may appeal to the child because he desires the finished product, or his interest may be aroused by the operations involved in constructing the article.

When dealing with a group of youngsters, much can be learned by observing their reactions to a display of sample projects. The younger children generally prefer articles which they can use themselves, such as boats, cars, airplanes, dolls, and other "toys." Older children tend to be a bit more magnanimous in their choice, and frequently select articles which can be used in their homes or yards, such as bird feeders, letter holders, windmills, door stops, and jewel boxes. These projects make good gifts for mother or dad.

Next, we must consider the many limiting factors which will influence our choice of projects. Of primary importance is the ability of the age group to be served. When you are in doubt concerning the level of shop skill of the children with whom you are dealing, it is best to aim low. It is generally much easier to add a few extra steps to a simple project and make it more challenging than to attempt to simplify a project which exceeds the ability of the group. There may be a few individuals in the group for whom even the simplest of projects will be sufficiently challenging. These are the children most in need of a successful woodcraft experience. The more skilled members of the group should be encouraged to utilize their originality and imagination in devising interesting designs and decorations for their projects. A number of simple but effective techniques which may be employed to dress up these scrap wood projects are discussed in the section entitled "Finishing Touches."

Closely related to the limitations imposed by the ability of the group are those which stem from the number of children to be served. In small groups where each child can receive a great deal of individual attention, the possibilities are almost limitless. However, when one instructor is responsible for rendering assistance to a dozen or more children, he must seek projects which each child can complete with a minimum of help. When he is dealing with large groups of young children, he may have to resort to administering projects which can be assembled from pre-cut blocks. The child's task is then simply that of sanding his pieces, nailing or gluing them together, and painting or staining the completed article.

The cost of materials need not be a deterrent in developing shop projects for children because a great many articles can be constructed entirely from wood scraps obtainable at any lumber yard. Most of the projects in this book may be constructed at a cost of not more than ten cents per child. If good use is made of scraps and household items, the cost may be reduced even more. We must be careful, however, not to carry economy to the point where we sacrifice the strength and workability of the materials to save a few pennies.

The working time required for a given project is also an important consideration. Children like to be able to carry away from each shop session some tangible evidence of their efforts. The ideal project for very young children is one which all can complete in a single shop period. Even older groups tend to prefer relatively short-term projects. However, each project should represent the child's best effort regardless of the time required to complete the article. As the child becomes more skillful, projects requiring more working time can be introduced. The average working time for most of the projects in this book is one hour.

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