We want to give knives a makeover. We want to emphasise them as tools rather than weapons.
Unfortunately, the country suffers with the line between the two being blurred.
Many young people have died from improper knife use. This raises the question... Is it safe to teach children knife skills?
We believe the answer is, yes!
The knife’s identity has been tarnished.
But what if children from an appropriate age knew of its true function?
Would it lessen the crime we have today? We don’t know the answer to this question, but we do believe education and creating a place where children can feel like they belong is the key to many of the issues we face today.
In Forest School, we teach knife skills to children over 3. From an early age, they’ll grasp that knives can be rather useful. They are tools for creation: turning a resource into something new.
We whittle sticks into wands, mark make, create toys, cut, batten, fire strike, sharpen and more. Not only does a child gain an understanding of a knife's many functions, but they also develop their fine motor skills through intricate use and handling.
Would you stop a fully capable and confident child from climbing past a certain height in a tree because YOU were scared? Or stop a child with great balance walking along a brick wall?
It may have taken that child some time to reach this potential – would you hinder further development?
This works the same with knives or any sharp tool. If there is an understanding and confident perspective toward using it positively then we’d say it’s a perfect opportunity for learning.
Knives are tools, not weapons. Let’s change the terminology.
Let’s rewrite the narrative. Knives are positive. Let’s allow children to carve their path into a better future of understanding correct tool use.