Kids' creativity, as measured by the most recent Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking scores, has been sliding since 1990, most noticeably among our younger students. Reduced music and arts education is cited as a key factor.
I like to use the 'demolition grade' blades. They ll cut wood, metal, plaster, wire, or pretty much anything you d care to throw at them. They're made from decent carbon steel that will take and hold an edge rather well. When bought in packs of a dozen, they can be had for about a buck each.
A full tang has the same profile as the handle of the knife, and the meat of the handle is formed by two slabs of wood (scales) to either side of the tang; most good knives are made this way. The knife I'm making here is a full tang knife. A partial tang is the most inconspicuous of the three and, in my view, the hardest to make. In this design the tang is a rod that protrudes back from the blade and is completely hidden inside the handle, secured with a rivet or two.