Carving with Kids: Tips, Rules and Ideas for Crafting and Whittling with your Swiss Army Knife

Being outdoors and learning new crafts that engage with the natural world is great for children’s wellbeing. They are explorers, problem-solvers, artists, freedom-seekers – what better place for playing than the woods? With the right pocket knife kids can whittle and carve amazing creations, from wizard wands and animal shapes to wooden spoons. The only limit is their own imagination.

If you don’t know where to start or are simply looking for some inspiration for yourself or for your children, check out our ideas for some cool carving inspiration. Whether you are a complete beginner or an experienced whittler, you’ll have fun learning how to carve a spinning top, a wooden fork or a little gnome.

Whilst we love a playful approach to life, when you mix children and tools safety is paramount. Our My First Victorinox knives may have a rounded blade for extra safety, but the blade itself is as sharp as that of our normal pocket knives. Therefore it goes without saying that the golden rule is that all children must be supervised whilst using a Swiss Army Knife.

Before you start your adventures, please take the time to familiarize yourselves with the rest of our nine safety rules . From the basic rule that all carving and whittling must be done whilst seated, these rules also contain important info on how to handle and hold a knife, which is vital for the safety of children (and adults!).

Teaching these basic safety rules will help your child be responsible and build confidence. As our in-house carving expert, Felix Immler, says: “They are no more dangerous than a bicycle or a skateboard. Kids just need to be taught how to use them.”

Felix himself is a world of creativity and inspiration. As the author of three books on the topic, he is considered a leading expert on whittling and crafting for children and adults alike. Learn more about what he teaches in his kids carving workshops and what he loves so much about an adventure in the forest with his pocket knife.

Learning through play and activity allows kids to follow their curiosity and creativity whilst developing new skills. Which is why we’ve created a range of pocket knives designed specifically for small hands and busy youngsters.