Does your daughter recognize the type of screwdriver you use
as readily as the type of iPod she can buy? In today’s high-tech world,
hands-on skills get short shrift and parents struggle to pull their kids away from mobile
devices, 3D televisions and video game consoles for even a minute.
Plus, too many social attitudes still suggests that girls
don't need to learn about (or aren't interested in) tools!
Editors at
The
Family Handyman compiled a
list of nine ways you can get your kids off the couch and into the workshop
with dad this summer. They just might like it!
1. Introduce tools one or two at a time.
Kids are easily
frustrated. Be careful not to go too fast. Let kids handle a tool, see how it
works and feel a sense of accomplishment with it before moving on to another
one.
2. Work at their height.
You don’t like a work
surface that’s too high, low or wobbly, and neither do kids. You can buy
child-size workbenches from school supply catalogs, cut down an existing
workbench or make one yourself. The workbench top should be at least 2 x 4 ft.
and stand 24 in. high for preschoolers and 27 in. high for elementary-age kids.
3. Screw into drywall first.
Start some screws in
a scrap of drywall and let the kids screw them in with a screwdriver or a
kid-size cordless screwdriver. Drywall is a lot easier to screw into than wood.
4. Whack on bubble wrap.
To a kid who’s not
quite ready to drive nails, nothing feels better than whap, crackle and pop.
Supply a kid-size hammer or a rubber mallet.
5. Build a bolt
board.
Wrenches are great
for beginning tool users. Sink different-size bolts into board, then let
children use wrenches to attach color-coordinated nuts.
6. Cut up foam core.
Clamp some foam core
to a workbench and let kids saw it into strips. Foam core is easier to saw
through than wood, and a keyhole saw is perfect for small hands. You can buy
foam core at craft, art and office supply stores.
7. Don’t toss that trash.
Taking apart a broken
gadget like a fan or toaster is great for young minds and fingers. Kids get to
unscrew things, learn how something is put together and have fun.
Note: If you don’t
happen to have anything broken lying around, you can buy small appliances
cheaply at yard sales or thrift stores. Look for older versions. The newer
appliances are mostly snap-together plastic. Skip electronic devices, which
might have potentially dangerous parts.
9. Don’t do it for them.
The biggest challenges
for experienced DIYers are time and patience. It’s very easy for an adult to
take over and just do things for their child, but you have to let kids learn by
doing, not watching.
Also, remember to play by the (safety) rules:
- Always wear safety glasses.
- Tie up long hair.
- Wear closed-toe shoes.
- Clean up after each work period.
- When using a saw, clamp the wood or secure it in a vise and
have kids hold the saw with both hands or put one hand behind their back to
prevent accidents.
