James Wright runs a great YouTube channel for handtool woodworking. Today he made great video about building a tool tote with his young daughter Melody.
I love that he lets her do most of the work with minimal assistance. I wish he’d get some small safety glasses on her though. Kids are precious, so are their eyes.

He offers free plans for this build here https://www.woodbywright.com/shop/kids-tool-box-test

Melody also posted her own version of the build. Big smiles all around.

This comical video about getting kids into the workshop has a lot of sarcasm and comedy and is targeted at the adults, it has some great advice too. Let it bring a smile to your face, then get your kids out into the shop with you.

In this video, a Dad walks his son through building throwing arrows (large lawn darts). It is nice to see examples of good teachable moments. What is also nice about this video is that he shows both advanced and simple ways to do things. Example: Use a band saw to make the slots for the fins, or use a Pull Saw to do it. The only thing that makes me cringe is that neither the dad nor the son ever have a pair of safety glasses on. Safety habits are learned early. Monkey see, monkey do and all that.

This kid-friendly project is perfect for tablet wielding kids. It is simple and doesn’t require much shop time but covers some basic skills. Safety habits start early. Unfortunately the googles that spend the whole time face down on the workbench aren’t protecting anyone.

http://www.onewood.com.au/woodworking-projects-for-kids-phone-stand

Cute video of a child identifying common bench planes.

Now get your kids out in the shop and make something cute.

Steve Schuler is a handtool woodworker who has written a number of pieces related to woodworking and children. I highly recommend them:

• Working Wood safely with Children
• How to Start Training the Next Generation of Woodworkers
• Addendum: Training the Next Generation of Woodworkers
• Woodworking with Children: Lots of Pictures
• What Are Some Good, Kid-Friendly Woodworking Projects?
• I Love My Sawbenches, Mostly – Another take on grownups building saw benches that serve double duty as kid workbenches.

Here is a nice introductory article about woodworking for kids by Doug Stowe that appeared in Fine Wood Working Magazine.  It is written with the intent of promoting the start-up of an elementary school woodworking approach, however, it covers some great concepts and issues for parents just wanting to get their own young children into their workshop.

Meet Matthew A.  He is a young woodworker with some great skill who is not only having fun building things with his Dad, but is filming it to share with all of us.

Matthew and Dad’s website The Newfoundland Woodworker geared toward woodworking kids.
Matthew on LumberJocks

Way to go Matthew and keep up the great work. You give us all something to aspire to.

This project shows an 8 yr old girl using her tools that she received as a birthday gift to build a set of stilts from plans that her dad made up for her.

This one project is a great example of

• age appropriate tools (miterbox and saw , hand drill)
• parent modifying plans so a child can follow them
• safe practices (safety goggles, ear protection, dust mask, both hands on saw)

Passing this story along because it is so powerful and is what is needed so much more than high stakes standardized testing.  A North Carolina Woodworker started a workshop for at risk kids.

The students work, succeed and even sell their work.  See the video below or visit kidsmakingit.org for more details about this very impressive and much needed program.

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 photos of the kids using safety glasses.

Some Projects are Just More Important Than Others.

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.

A nice simple toolbox that leads to great times with Dad and huge smiles for the kids.

Clicking the link will take you to see this project on LumberJocks

A nice description from a Dad in the shop with his 2 young boys.  It is great to see what other parents are doing and how they handle it.

From Lumberjocks >>  Woodworking with the Kids

This is  a great example of doing something different at a birthday party by having each child make their own wooden tool tote or brain box.

from LumberJocks >> Build a  Toolbox Birthday Party