For all the little Sawyers and Carvers and their Parents
17
Sep
Quick & Easy Woodworking: 28 Fun Projects to Start and Finish in a Day or Less is a nice set of projects that are useful and realistic. The book is intended for new woodworkers, but it also lends itself well to projects that woodworkers of any skill level could do with their kids. What I [...]
16
Sep
As we move into Fall, many parents are taking their kids out into the woods for one last hike or walk before winter sets in. Here are some old-school books with intriguing wood and forest activities. These are also great to read before heading out on a camping trip. The Field and Forest Handy Book: [...]
15
Sep
This is a nice post from Rob at The Logan Cabinet Shoppe about time spent with his young girls in the workshop. There are some great lessons to be learned here. Small bites, don’t over complicate things, let kid’s ideas reign supreme and several more. A truly great example that can only be improved by [...]
11
Sep
I’ve already covered some tips for getting kid sized real tool sets, however sometimes you need to provide toy tool sets. There are a few limiting factors that may cause you to choose toy tools instead of or in addition to real tools Kids are too young for certain tools You need a set of [...]
10
Sep
There are a number of tool sets for kids. They all differ in what items they have and the quality of those items. I tend to buy single tools at a time that are adult tools but approachable by kids. I find they are often made a little more solidly and they are designed more [...]
9
Sep
Kids and parents building wood projects together is a great bonding experience and teaches kids things they can not learn any other way. Sometimes parents need a little help choosing projects that will hold the interest of their children yet not be overwhelming to build. The book The Kids’ Building Workshop: 15 Woodworking Projects for [...]
3
Sep
An “eggbeater” style hand drill is a relatively safe 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 [...]
1
Sep
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 [...]
31
Aug
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 [...]
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.
28
Aug
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 [...]
27
Aug
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 [...]
26
Aug
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 [...]
25
Aug
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 [...]
23
Aug
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. Monkey With a Tool Belt MWTB and the Noisy Problem They are listed as [...]