Low-Stakes Mistakes
The Sloyd Experience - an opportunity for your child(ren) to learn and access the part of their brain that views itself as a resource through low-stakes mistakes.
By: Brittany Love Brome
I first noticed Sloyd dropping off and picking up my kiddos at the local Arts Hub in Lafayette, Colorado. I witnessed day in and day out 6 or so kiddos at their stations, focused, working with real wood-working tools, in an indoor/outdoor space with fresh air - doing their work with purpose. I was intrigued. At first glance the word Sloyd reminded me of a name of a piece of furniture I’d see at IKEA with the umlaut and I thought, “hmm - seems like wood-working for kids!” I would soon learn that Sloyd, while it does have Swedish roots, is so much more than just "wood-working for kids.” Sloyd’s mission is to strengthen children’s character through woodworking, where the sole aim is to foster self-reliance, nurture concentration, coach perseverance, encourage neatness, and instill an appreciation for labor - all of which prepare them for their future.”
The Sloyd Experience felt like a welcomed option for how kids can spend their free time. I liked the slower, deliberate focus on what kiddos need to experience in order to access the part of their brains where they learn to view themselves as a resource while problem solving. I also appreciate that the experience is a proactive approach to build resilience, confidence in childrens’ abilities all by making mistakes in a low-stakes, nurturing and understanding environment. We decided to give it a try! :)
Class starts right on time, some kiddos know their stations, are greeted by their first name and get right to work where they left off last time. Other kids are taking their first class and therefore get an overview with the passionate and patient Sloyd instructor and Founder, Luke Johanson. He gets on the kiddos level and his approach conveys his trust in the students right away. His slow, sincere & serious voice garners the attention of the new students and promotes the concentration & self-reliance needed to keep them and the rest of the class safe during their time together - they are using real, sharp tools to create models with wood after all! All of the work benches are neat and have the same tools & layout with written instructions for each project that each kiddo will work through at their own pace. While there are a lot of questions, Luke is quick to mention that he will not tell them what to do but rather demonstrate the build first and then have the kids try it out on their own. Issues arise and Luke is very patient, careful not to do the work for them instead pausing, asking questions of the kiddos and helping them look within themselves for the answers.
As the class progresses - I see the look on the children’s faces when they complete their first straight cut - it's priceless. The group takes on its own dynamic - the older kiddos share their knowledge with newer students - you can see the empowerment in their bodies take hold while they are explaining what they’ve learned - the newer students smile to themselves as their confidence grows, siblings wrestle to make a dowel together with the dowel-making machine, taking turns, giving feedback, trying a different strategy - I’m witnessing a culture of encouragement, learning and growth all while building character one kiddo, one skill, one mistake at time. It’s so much more than just wood-working for kids :)
On a final note, a piece of wood cut unevenly by a child in a class today will have very little negative impact on them, if at all. But this scenario is ripe with an opportunity for several benefits. This child gets to take a calculated risk, learn how to use a new & sharp tool, make mistakes, understand what happened, problem solve with their own brain as a resource and feel the satisfaction of doing that process all on their own, in a calm, nurturing environment; thus building the skill of self-reliance. When a kiddo does this over and over again, this skill gets nurtured at a young age and while it is a slow, repetitive process - it will continue to develop into a skill that will be in them as they adventure into the world as adults. I am grateful that the Sloyd Experience is in our community and as my oldest child puts it - it’s a “take your time” kind of place. So let’s all take our time, make mistakes, knowing that through each and every experience in life we’re learning and building resilience.
