An “eggbeater” style hand drill is a relatively save tool for kids to use.  They can often be found at garage sales or even on ebay.  Some are collectible and have more value, but most sell for under $15.  Older eggbeater drills made by Millers Falls or Stanley can still perform very well.  If you want to go the new route, there are a couple of good options:

Fiskars 8511 is a modern version with the gear enclosed so you don’t have to worry about fingers getting pinched on exposed gears (they rarely do).  The Fiskars 8516 is a colored version.

If you prefer the exposed  gear “old school” variety but want to buy new, this Schroeder hand drill is styled off some of the old Stanley models.

Neither these new hand drills or their older counterparts can hold or manage a drill bit larger than 1/4″ in diameter so stock up on a set of bits with 1/4″ and smaller drill bits.

Ear protection for Kids is as essential for kids as it is for adults in the workshop.  I do caution however to carefully consider the use of powertools in the presence of kids.  Once the appropriateness of powertool use has been considered, if the task is loud, then kids need ear protection.  That’s true even if they are just pounding nails with a hammer.  There are a few companies that offer ear muffs for kids.

Peltor Junior Ear Muff NRR 22dB also available in Kid friendly pink and blue.

Baby Banz Ear protection for kids  NRR 21 dB

Radians Folding Earmuffs True Jr.  for Kids NRR 21 dB

I often had trouble getting my 2yr old to keep his safety goggles on.  I had some small ones that came from a Home Depot activity.  They made him uncomfortable and he would take them off as soon as I put them on.  I couldn’t blame him.  They fogged up, were uncomfortable AND they didn’t look like my safety glasses.  Then on a suggestion from another woodworker I tried these Radians Mirage Small Safety Glasses.

The change was dramatic.  They fit his face, they were clearer, more comfortable and best of all he keeps them on.  It doesn’t hurt that they look like mine.  He often wants to be just like Daddy…for now.    Since they cost less than $2 a piece, I bought a dozen of them.  So far he’s been using the same pair for several months now.  They only have  a few scratches on them, and we use them almost daily.  When they get worse I will throw them out and give him another.  They hold up well.  The only time he ever tries to take them off is if he works up a sweat and they get steamed up.   He is definitely more safe with these on.  They are even ANSI certified.

It is important that your child is comfortable wearing them so in case you child is uncomfortable with these.  There are a few other styles you could try.  Or perhaps choose them because they more closely resemble the safety glasses you use.

The MFASCO G4 Kids Safey Glasses

Pyramex Mini Ztek Safety Glasses for Kids

Kids Safety Goggles (useful if your child has prescription eyewear to wear under these)

Tools by Taro Miura is a 52 page book with clear and uncluttered drawings of tools.  First a set of tools are shown by themselves along with their names, then they are shown in use.  It is not strictly woodworking, some sets are for mechanics, some for sewing, and even some for watchmaking.

My Little Red Toolbox by Stephen Johnson is more of an activity than a book.  It contains pop-out tools that can be used.  If you want to introduce a young child to the idea of tools but aren’t ready to give him or her real tools just yet, this can be an good place to start.

Not all of the tools are woodworking related, but most are.

(There is a choking hazard warning for kids under 3)

Steve Good of the Scrollsaw Workshop has some fantastic plans for cars, planes, trucks and other toys for kids.  These could be made with a powered scrollsaw or with a fret or coping saw.

Here a list of the plans that I found suitable for doing with kids.

• Toy Biplane
• Car Carrier Truck with Car
• Animal Clocks
• Animal Puzzles
• Spinning Top
• Rubber Band Race Car

He graciously makes available a huge collection of other patterns as well.  They can be found here.  Steve is the author of some interesting pattern designing software that is definitely worth using if you and your kids get hooked on scrollsawing together.

Toolbox Twins by Lola Schaefer and Melissa Iwai is a 32 page book depicting the toolbox twins (Father and son) working together with tools to fix things around the house.  It includes woodworking as well as plumbing and mechanics.  The illustrations of Father and son working together are fantastic and build a great bond when read between Father and son.

The rhyming text and sounds help make this a fun read.  It is different from some of the other books I have recommended here.  It isn’t about the specific tools, rather is centers a bit on the satisfaction of doing work to make something better.

The Toolbox by Anne & Harlow Rockwell features a wooden toolbox that is identical to the common classic tool totes we often build early on with our kids.  They are timeless and classic.  This board book (not real wood, but cardboard for young hands) has 24 pages that feature the contents of the toolbox and the jobs they do.

The drawings are clear, yet simple without any background clutter.  My son at 2yrs old loves this book.  The focus on hand tools is nice.  Hand saw, hand drill, claw hammer, bench plane, wrench, folding ruler, pliers, oil can and a few others are all covered.

There are two books in this series by Chris Monroe.  Both of them are just a lot of fun.  Comical to read and look at.  It is not all woodworking, but it IS troubleshooting and tool using, which is always good.

1. Monkey With a Tool Belt
2. MWTB and the Noisy Problem

They are listed as being K-3, but younger kids will enjoy them too.  This clever thinking, gadget laden monkey is pretty entertaining, even for the adults who read them to their kids.

Tools by Holly Mann is shaped and styled like a book, but contains tabs you can pull that change the colors of the images in the book.  This book is not limited to woodworking tools, but has a little bit of everything in it.  Only 8 pages, but the activity can keep kids going back to it to play.

Old MacDonald had a Woodshop by Lisa Shulman and Ashley Wolff is a cute book for toddlers through Kindergarten. From a tool point of view this book shows a lot of woodworking tools along with the names. It shows them in use, and in place in the shop. It also builds on a catchy tune you may have sung with your child a few thousand times but substitutes in tool noises in place of animal sounds.

The drawings are great, the tools authentic and many of the tools are old-school so they are generally the kid safer versions they might actually be using in the workshop.

The 32 page book is available in hardcover or soft and is listed as an age 4-8 reading level, but my son is just under 2 and loves it.  Knows it by heart….and yes, sometimes I hum it to myself when I am in the workshop by myself.

A miter box is a great way to get kids started with sawing.  It guides the saw for them and generally keeps the sharp cutting teeth out of their way.  As with any woodworking, securing the wood being worked on is a crucial step in helping kids avoid injuries.

I like this Stanley Miter Box for several reasons.

• It can be easily screwed down to a bench so it doesn’t move while in use and create a dangerous situation (most miter boxes meet this requirement)
• It has a series of holes with special pegs that allow even a child to wedge a piece of wood in place within the box.  This means little hands don’t have to be in harm’s way.
• The height of the miter box is designed to keep the included saw from cutting into the miter box itself.  Essentially the back brace on the saw acts as a depth stop and prevents it from cutting past the wood.

The included saw works pretty well.  As a child progresses or learns to use a pull saw, that could be used with this box as well.  The only shortcoming would be that the saw would not be prevented from cutting into the bottom of the box.

The Stanley Miter Box can be purchased either with the saw (Model 20-600) or without the saw ( Model 20-112).  For the little bit extra (~$5), I got the one with the saw, for the depth stop feature.

Doug Stowe (box maker and child woodworking advocate) has an interesting post on his website about a summer camp for woodworking kids run at a local church.  The kids made benches with vises and seem to be using miter boxes as a way to keep the cuts straight AND safe.

wisdomofhands.blogspot.com/2010/08/summer-camp-woodworking.html

I like the Stanley Miterbox specifically for use with kids because it has clamping pins so the kids can keep their hands off the wood while they are sawing. It can be used with both pull and push saws. Kids seem to find the pull saws easier to use.

This nice little project is fun because the boomerangs are easy to make and when you are done, you can get the kids outside and running around.  These great videos cover all the aspects of building them.

And don’t worry, even though the video shows a bandsaw and electric sander, you can do this just as fast with handtools so the kids can do everything.

Supplies

• 2 Large 5-gal Paint Stir Sticks
• Wood Glue
• Paint (optional)

Tools

• Crosscut saw (fine teeth)
• sandpaper
• clamps
• rasp and or wood file
• pencil

Link to Video #1

Link to Video #2

Link to Video #3

Link to Video #4

I was concerned that some of the vintage tools that I was using with my son might contain lead paint, so I bought a lead test kit and tested them.

My Millers Falls Hand drill with red paint on the main gear (~ 1920′s) does not contain lead.

My Stanley Handyman plane (~1950′s)  with the red painted frog (the thing the blade attaches to)  does not contain lead.

If you are using other vintage tools with your children, it may be worth checking them out.  If you find lead or find no lead, please report what you tested and the results in the comments below.

Test kits can be purchased from most paint stores  or from Amazon: Lead Paint Test Kits.