I really want my kids to be involved in our homestead life in a hands-on way. This includes cutting and splitting firewood to heat our home with. But sometimes I am unsure how much responsibility they can be given. Maybe you can relate to some of these same feelings with your kids. That’s what led me to write this article.
Drawing from my own experiences with our kids and some advice and wisdom from older parents, I hope to help you understand some basic safety principles for kids cutting and splitting firewood. Hopefully this article will help you decide at what age your child can be cutting and splitting firewood.
Benefits of Cutting and Splitting Firewood for Kids
- Eye-hand coordination. This is one the many skills children need to practice as they grow so that their fine motor skills will develop. It just so happens that splitting firewood is a great exercise because it involves accuracy and concentration. Having to hit the wood in just the right spot with the axe takes precision and practice. Kids will get better over time just as adults do.
- Independence/self esteem. A job well done deserves praise! Praise your kids for splitting and stacking firewood and watch them beam with pride. Splitting firewood will help our kids develop a positive self esteem by teaching them that they can accomplish important tasks that are meaningful to the whole family.
- Respect for tools. Your kids will begin to appreciate the tools that they are using and learn how important it is to take care of them and use them properly. If they learn to value their tools they are less likely to discard them or leave them in the woods.
- Appreciation for hard work. Cutting and splitting firewood is not an easy task. A kid watching a fire blaze will feel proud knowing that he helped get the firewood being used. He’s less likely to be wasteful with the wood after having experienced how much work went in to cutting and splitting it.
- Skills. He will develop knowledge of tools and wood that he can use in his future. He may not cut firewood for a living when he gets older, but a passion might grow from this skill that he wishes to develop into a career. For example, carpentry, furniture making, working at a lumber yard, working with the forest service, etc.
- Strength. Cutting and splitting firewood will give our kids a chance to get physically strong. It’s an overall body workout exercising arms, back, legs and core muscles.
Don’t Start with an Axe
Observation 1st. This might sound odd, but if your kids are very young, say under 7 years old, start them out by observing you working and helping to stack the wood and carry it to the house or truck. By being outside with you in the woods, they will begin to develop a love for the outdoors and a longing to do what you are doing when the time comes.
Don’t take your young kids along with you to cut firewood if you are in a hurry or in a bad mood. You need to be prepared to teach and encourage your kids as well as watch him to make sure he is safe. It’s a great idea to treat cutting firewood as a family activity. This dad can be felling a tree, and mom can be on safety patrol.
Buck saw or Hand saw 2nd. As your kids get older and their concentration and maturity grows, give them a hand saw or buck saw to practice with. Your kids might be ready for this responsibility at age 7. It’s up to your judgement to gauge when he is ready. Some kids are more obedient than others. If your child doesn’t pay attention to your commands, it’s best not to hand him a hand saw and expect him to listen to your instructions. Wait until he is more disciplined.
With your supervision give you kid a felled tree to saw in to the lengths you want cut. Make sure the tree is not very big around. You don’t want to make the job so difficult that they lose interest and get burnt out before one log is cut through.
Axe 3rd. Handling an axe or a hatchet will be the next progression. The age of the child is not the determining factor. He needs to be mature and strong enough for this responsibility. The difference between an axe and a hatchet is that hatchets are intended to be used with one hand for chopping wood while axes are swung with two hands for felling trees and splitting firewood.
What position should a child cut firewood in?
- Start in a kneeling position. It’s important to teach good form to our kids when splitting firewood. Splitting firewood in a kneeling position addresses parents concerns over leg and foot injuries which are some of the most common firewood splitting injuries. This is especially important for kids since they will be using axes with shorter handles.
- Use a splitting block. The best kind of splitting block is a round of firewood that is knotty and ugly because they are long-lasting. Generally speaking, pick a splitting block that is the same height as the axe your child is using. Using a splitting block means the resting place of the axe is further away from your child’s feet. It also decreases the chance of dulling or chipping your axe head because of hitting it on rocks. The job of your child while splitting wood without a splitting block will increase because much of the force from his swing will be absorbed by the ground and not the wood. Help him out by providing a good working surface for him.
- Axe on wood. Another option to teach your kids how to split firewood is to place the axe onto the wood and then bring them down simultaneously onto the block. His other hand will grasp the opposite end of the wood. This is a great tip for kids who are learning control and precision. The wood should be brought down at the back of the splitting block to avoid possible accidents.
- Recycling old tires. You might also like to screw an old tire to your splitting block and teach your kids to split wood this way. Its a great way to keep all your wood in one place and fun for your kids.
- Kindling Cracker. A super safe and easy way to split kindling. Made of cast iron it’s super durable and there is no need to swing an axe. The splitting head remains stationary, permanently mounted inside a cast iron frame. It runs on the expensive side, but well worth it for peace of mind for the safety of your kids.
Recommended Tools for Kids to Cut and Split Firewood
Hand saws. Silky makes a great curved blade hand saw that is great for kids to use. They can saw through limbs and small trees without getting over fatigued. Remember to teach them to hold to position their other hand far from the blade.
Buck saws. Remember at this stage your kids are still practicing precision and concentration. They need to learn not to be in a hurry so give them a tool right for that job which is why we start young and inexperienced kids with hand saws and buck saws. A buck saw is also referred to a bow saw in some stores.
Axes. A splitting axe is a good place to start. The handle is short, which is perfect for a kid. The Gränsfors Bruk Small Forest Axe is a great choice with its 19 inch handle and only weighing 2 lbs, but you’re gonna pay a pretty penny. A cheaper option is Fiskars 14 inch hatchet, which is about 1.5 pounds.
Supervision is Necessary
When a child is just starting out learning how to cut and split firewood the adult supervising him needs to be solely focused on that child. It’s best to have one adult working with only one child at a time thus minimizing opportunities for accidents and injuries to happen.
You attitude is just as important as the child’s ability to listen to your instructions and commands. If you use a calm and quiet voice when instructing him then he will be at ease and be calm as well. When he does make a mistake be careful not to get excited and start yelling corrections to him. Instead gently correct him using a firm but calm voice. If you get excited and loud your child will react and possibly injure himself or you.
By the time he is in his early teens, you may not need to supervise him splitting kindling at all. You may think him ready for more responsibility which might include cutting logs with a chainsaw under supervision. The decision to allow him to progress to using a chainsaw should not be taken lightly because if used improperly can lead to serious injury.
Have him work on the same felled tree with you. Each working from opposite ends. This will give him freedom to work independently while you have the ability to peak over and be assured he is doing ok and not endangering himself. If he needs to be corrected or you think he is getting fatigued, take a break and then resume.
Safety Equipment
Cutting and splitting firewood is just like any other job in that you need the proper tools and equipment to do your job well and efficiently. Here is a list of recommended safety equipment that you might want to consider having your kids use so you can be a little more confident that they will not get injured.
- Gloves. The best kind of gloves are leather work gloves. Sometimes it is difficult to find the right size for your child so shop around. It is no fun for your or your kid having to dig splinters out of little fingers and palms.
- Eye protection. Wood chips can fly when cutting and splitting firewood. It’s a good idea to protect your child’s eyes from such happenings. Buy an inexpensive pair of goggles or even sunglasses that aren’t tented very much. The benefit of goggles over sunglasses is that they protect from the sides not just the front.
- Ear protection. This is not important unless they will be operating a chainsaw (as we’ll discuss below), or are in the vicinity of someone who is. Continuous loud noise can cause hearing damage. The best protection is from earmuffs. Earmuffs have a hard shell that covers your ears, while the inside is made of foam that absorbs the loud noises made by the chainsaw. Some people just use cheap earplugs, but that is not ideal.
- Sharp Axe. A dull axe is dangerous. Kids should be taught how to sharpen and maintain their axe. For kids, it’s best to choose a shorter handled axe that they can more easily grip.
What age can my kid start using an axe to split firewood?
As we have discussed already, the age of each child is going to depend on many factors such as, maturity, strength, and discipline. For your consideration check out the age at which the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) teach kids to use hand tools, pocketknives, bow saws, and axes. This club is a traditional experience for a lot of Americans. They focus on developing leadership abilities and community engagement. A lot of the activities that the scouts are involved in are outdoors. You may like to use their standards when deciding if your child is ready to handle a bow saw or axe.
Boy Scouts of America is divided into Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. Traditionally the age of Cub Scouts is youth grades K-5. Cub Scout levels include Lion (age 5-6), Tiger (age 7), Wolf (age 8), Bear (age 9), and Webelos (age 10). Traditionally the age range for Boy Scouts ranges from 11-17 years of age. Sea Scouts and Venturers are intended for girls and boys ages 14-20.
As you can see from the chart above, hand tools are taught beginning in Kindergarten. Kids are taught how to use pocketknives beginning at age 9. Bow saws are taught at age 10 and axes at age 11.
What about chainsaws?
Maybe your child has interest in running a chainsaw but your are unsure if that is a good idea. It is never a smart idea to give a young child full control of a chainsaw. For one, chainsaws are very heavy and a young child won’t be able to hold onto it for long. Also, if not properly instructed a young child can become scared and react negatively to the noise and vibration of the chainsaw. That being said, some parents choose to allow their young child to “assist” by putting pressure on the throttle.
Laws. For your consideration read the Child Labor Requirements in Agricultural Occupations Under the Fair Labor Standards Act
The Hazardous Occupations Orders for Agricultural Employment (HO/As):
The FLSA provides a minimum age of 16 years for any agricultural occupations which the Secretary of Labor finds and declares to be particularly hazardous for persons under the age of 16, or detrimental to their health and well-being. The Secretary of Labor has found and declared that the following occupations are hazardous for minors under 16 years of age.
Operating or assisting to operate(including starting, stopping, adjusting, feeding, or any other activity involving physical contact associated with the operation) any of the following machines:
a. trencher or earthmoving equipment;
b. forklift;
c. potato combine; or
d. power-driven circular, band, or chain saw
So, under the Fair Labor Standards Act operating a chainsaw is listed as a hazardous occupation for a child under the age of 16. Reading more of the law you will see that there is a Parental Exemption to this law.
Parental Exemption from the Agricultural Provisions of the FLSA:
A child of any age may be employed by his or her parent or person standing in place of the parent at any time in any occupation on a farm owned or operated by that parent or person standing in place of that parent.
Thus, as the parent you have the right legally to have your child operate a chainsaw. When making your decision keep in mind that it is listed as a hazardous occupation.
Electric vs Gas Chainsaws
Chainsaws are sold in electric and gas. All with different size motors and different size bars. Some are quieter than others and some have more safety features than others. Choose the chainsaw that matches your child, his abilities and the job you are wanting him to do. This will make cutting firewood much more enjoyable and safe.
Chainsaw safety classes. Many communities and schools offer chainsaw safety classes. If your child did not grow up around chainsaws and you yourself don’t have great skills with a chainsaw, I would encourage you to enroll him in a chainsaw safety class. Get him started on the right foot by giving him the instructions and knowledge he needs to be safe while operating one.
Proper Behavior when Cutting Firewood
It’s important to teach our kids how to use a buck saw, hand saw, axe, or hatchet, but we also need to teach them how to respect them which includes cleaning, sharpening, and putting away their tools. It’s important our kids are taught that tools are not toys and easily discarded.
This might sound obvious, but if your kid is tired, cranky, angry, or undisciplined, don’t allow him to cut or split wood. Wait until he is at his prime to engage him in this activity. Working with a distracted kid can lead to injuries. Remind him that it is not a game, but a serious responsibility.
Remember that your calm and controlled behavior will influence the way your child acts.
Conclusion
Are you feeling more confident now? I truly hope so. If you have any other helpful tips that you can add to this article please write them in the comments below. Let’s help each other teach our kids how to safely cut and split firewood.
-Keepsm:)ing!
