Whittling Sticks
Whittling can be a calming, creative, curiosity sparking, fine motor activity for people of all ages!
What whittling can lead to:
Some children enjoy simply carving the wood. The physical act of removing the bark is a calming activity for many children. Whittling offers children a moment of solitude. Sometimes the carved pieces of wood become a part of imaginative play as a wand, or fishing pole, or tool.
Children can explore patterns or be asked to replicate a pattern of wood carvings on a stick. Instead of peeling pieces of wood off, you can choose to leave pieces hanging as a part of the design. Get creative with you’re carving!
You can even carve sticks into writing tools for the outdoors. Be creative with the types of “ink” you use for the wooden writing tools. You can use water, colored water, smashed berries, mud, etc. No need to practice writing with paper and pencils when you can simply write anywhere outdoors with whittled sticks!