Welcome to 'Hotel Gogga'

Update

KNYSNA NEWS - As part of their annual woodworking tours for little ones from preschools around Knysna, wooden toys and accessories manufacturer JB Furniture Manufacturers last week welcomed kiddies back for some more woodworking fun.

Every year, the company invites local schools to take part in educational woodworking tours at its factory where they conclude the tour by helping the children to make something useful.

This year's tours, between 13 and 17 September, offered youngsters the opportunity to make their own gogga hotels. The gogga hotel is a fun, creative way to teach the children about the environment around them and how important it is to look after both the environment and the goggas, as both play an important role in everyday life.

During last week, the factory team welcomed more than 200 children from eight local preschools, teaching them about not only the process of turning wood into finished products such as furniture, but about wood itself, too.

Photo gallery: JB Furniture woodwork tours

At each visit, everyone of course had to sanitise their hands (and feet) and go through the usual Covid-19 screening test before they could begin. They were first treated to a special educational talk about wood and its different uses by Russel Burland, JB co-owner and head of planning and production.

Daniel Wildeman (right) helps Ezra Arendse and Chreezen Jornett handle a piece of wood.

After that they enjoyed a tour of the factory and learnt more about the various processes that are involved in woodworking.

The tours are not only special to the kids, but to those at the company too. Co-owner and head of sales Kimberley Snook said they love hosting the children.

ALSO READ: Little ones enjoy woodwork tours

"While we want to make it an exciting learning experience, we also want to make sure they walk away with something tangible to remember us by, while also planting the little idea of a potential future in woodworking," she said. The product they make for the tours each year is subsequently released as a DIY kit for their wooden toy brand, Stumped.

Raynando Olivier and Nikita Hanse hammer away at the gogga hotel.
Photos: Blake Linder