Home › Browse › First knife lesson
A rounded-tip knife, a soft stick, and the "blood circle" rule.
Kids learn to respect tools by using them with care.
Seated, cut away from body, glove on holding hand, arm's length clear around. Close the knife between cuts.
Proper unit blocks, the kind every good preschool classroom has, made from reclaimed rubberwood. PlanToys says they use formaldehyde-free glue and water-based dyes.
Honest drawback: Fifty blocks is a starter set. Classrooms use hundreds.
A real easel with paper roll, chalkboard and dry-erase. The tall format gets kids standing and painting big, which is a different (and better) experience than coloring at a table.
Honest drawback: Bulky, and paint happens. Put a drop cloth under it.
The good-enough easel at a fraction of the price. IKEA lists solid pine plus a chalkboard and whiteboard, and it folds flat when you need the room back.
Honest drawback: Less sturdy than premium easels, and paper is a separate purchase.
