From Early Stories to Today · Drawing 13
At the blacksmith's
Long ago
A blacksmith heats metal to shape it. With a hammer and an anvil, the blacksmith gradually gives it the shape they want.
Look together
Can you find the anvil?
An idea to try
Your child uses their hands to make a U shape with modelling dough. Talk about what changes shape, then find the blacksmith's three tools in the drawing.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
A forge transforms metal using heat and tools. Archéolab.Québec presents objects connected with blacksmithing. In our scene, the hammer, tongs and anvil make three actions visible: striking, holding and supporting a piece. The metal is shaped gradually into the desired form.
For ages 4 to 7, these simple relationships are enough; temperatures and specialist techniques can wait. The drawing shows an adult at work in an imaginary workshop. The horseshoe provides a recognizable shape, without suggesting that it was the blacksmith's only product. The actions are illustrative, not instructions to copy.
Sources and context
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. Source titles appear in their original language; some linked pages are in French.
Source review: 2026-09-12. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.