Woodworking for Kids
TIPical Mary Ellen : Episode TIP-643 -- More Projects »
Handywoman Adair Theis tells how to teach basic woodworking skills to children.
- Purchase a child-sized tool kit for your kids. Let them practice using various tools such as a hammer, screwdrivers, pliers, wire cutters and of course safety goggles. However, never leave your children unsupervised in the workshop.
Drill smaller holes in a piece of wood and let a child attach small cup hooks to make a neat rack to hang things on (figure A).
For beginners, let children experiment with a hammer. Pre-drill some starter holes in a piece of scrap wood, and let a child hammer in some nails. Choose nails with large heads so that the kids have a larger target to aim the hammer at (figure B).
Purchase a precut wooden birdhouse for kids to put together. Label the pieces in numerical order so a child can have an easier time putting the house together (figure C).For a simple project with the kids, drill a few holes in a piece of scrap wood. Parents should always do the drilling. Add some shaker pegs. This makes a great necklace holder.How about making a ring toss game? Drill a hole in a piece of wood and choose a length of dowel to fit in the hole. Fill the hole with wood glue and insert the dowel. Use rubber jar sealing rings to toss onto the peg.
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