Woodworking with children

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178
I'm looking for project ideas for kids (5 years old). My Grandson can use the bandsaw, tablesaw and drill press (all of it with me standing right behind him) and the usual handworking tools of course. He built a nice sanding block the other day. So what I'm looking for is simple projects (no dovetail joints please, they are tough on me too) that will keep his interest. Any suggestions, web sites etc would be appreciated.

Thanks, DKT
 
Sounds scary to me, a 5 year old anywhere near a table saw when it is running, but . . .

I had a couple of my grandkids building birdhouses using hand tools a while back. They were 7 and 8 at the time and we did them out of some Western Red Cedar. Then their Grammy watched over their painting them.
 
Sounds scary to me, a 5 year old anywhere near a table saw when it is running, but . . .

It's called Featherboards, Splitters, Bladeguards etc plus how you raise your kids, for example very minimal TV here.
Thanks for the suggestion of birdhouses, commercial ones (Hobby Lobby sells them) or freelancing?

DKT
 
The first thing I made in my granddad's shop was a little solid maple cutting board for my grandma. Birdhouses are another good idea. Either the pre-made kits or made from scratch should work well. Also, wooden toys like cars and trains might be fun...both the construction and the playing with them afterwards.
 
It's called Featherboards, Splitters, Bladeguards etc plus how you raise your kids, for example very minimal TV here.
Thanks for the suggestion of birdhouses, commercial ones (Hobby Lobby sells them) or freelancing?

DKT

We did ours from scratch, used some of those eastern cedar fence pickets. Only get my grandkids in small spurts since they live out of town and are getting raised by their parents. When they're here they get almost no TV because we don't watch it either.
 
I'm looking for project ideas for kids (5 years old). My Grandson can use the bandsaw, tablesaw and drill press (all of it with me standing right behind him) and the usual handworking tools of course. He built a nice sanding block the other day. So what I'm looking for is simple projects (no dovetail joints please, they are tough on me too) that will keep his interest. Any suggestions, web sites etc would be appreciated.

Thanks, DKT
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Kids usually get a kick out of a top they can build. The ones I'm thinking of consist of a yoke (for lack of a better word) a wooden wheel about 2-1/2" dia. or so, a dowel with a hole for the string to wind up and a straight pin head (bearing) centered in one dowel end. And when finished they have a top to entertain themselves. These are even entertaining for 7th graders to make.
 
The first thing I made in my granddad's shop was a little solid maple cutting board for my grandma. Birdhouses are another good idea. Either the pre-made kits or made from scratch should work well. Also, wooden toys like cars and trains might be fun...both the construction and the playing with them afterwards.

We bought some of the bird house kits on-line for the grand-daughter to put together with great grand-dad. They were inexpensive, around $2 to $4 per kit.... save your money. They were either warped or miscut. It would have been easier to precut a ceder fence board before hand and assemble them together, like here.

Ted
 
I'm thinking simple is best.

Precut the parts so they can hammer (yes hammer, nothing like beating 2 pieces of wood together) a bird house, or a little treasure box they can put their valuables in. Put a hasp and a lock on the box and I'd bet that would be a winner....
 
I remember a couple of my first projects were a pen/pencil holder (actually just cut and finished the wooden base and bought the pen set to attach to it) and an adjustable book shelf (two parallel dowels, one attached near the bottom of one bookend and the other with two holes drilled through so that matching end could slide) with pineapple bookends.
 
At that age, I would recommend a scroll saw. MY niece(sp?) loves cutting out windchimes on it. They can use up scrapes and are fairly easy to make.
 
With my 4 and 6 year olds, we've been building things in the shop for a couple of years now. what i find works best is to ask them what they want to build. The two of you can sketch up a picture of it, talk about how to make the parts, put them together, and finish them off. Then, just get to work. If it's something they want to build, it works out pretty well. Keeping it somewhat simple is key, though moving parts are great.

Maybe you can match a project to his interests. We've built toy lawn equipment scaled for my son's size - even a reel type push mower with spinning "blades". And it all comes out of the scrap bin.

Like was mentioned earlier, the scroll saw is fairly kid friendly. The band saw wouldn't be bad. I have to agree that i'd not let my kids anywhere near the cut line on a spinning table saw, featherboards or not.

If they can sketch, cut, drill, hammer, sand, and paint, they've got all the tools they need to build just about anything.

At 5, my son was using the hand saw, drill, hammer/nails, hand plane (actually not too badly, though he's still getting the hang of it - hand strength helps a lot with that one), palm sander, disc sander, and paint brush. We're getting into the scroll saw right now. If their demeanor is inquisitive and a bit cautious, they can do a lot more. My daughter, for instance, is a walking train wreck. She won't be using the machines any time soon.

Have fun with it and let us know how it goes.

Paul Hubbman
 
My, fraternal twin, grandsons asked if they could do something in my workshop. I readily agreed. First will have to get parents permission. Both doctors. Son is ER physician and they both see the bad stuff that can happen. The boys have taken an interest in bats. I have plans for a bat box I built. Believe I will let them watch me cut the pieces then we can assemble together. Even though they are almost nine years old they have never been exposed to things like this. We see them only a few times a year and try to give experiences beyond TV cartoons and electronic games.
 
My 3 year old son and I made a little poplar box to put his toy tools in.

We put it together with pocket screws. I set up the Kreg jig, and helped him drill the holes (I held the drill,and he squeezed the trigger). Then I used Kreg's right angle clamp, to hold things in place. Then I helped him drive the screws. My little 9.6v DeWalt drill is great for this. I did all of the cuts, so that wasnt' a concern.

He had alot of fun in the shop that day. Spending time with me in the shop is his favorite thing to do.

Each time before we go down to the shop, I have my "safety briefing" with my son. It goes like this:
Me: "What do you need to be, when you are in the workshop?"
Son: "A good listener!"
Me: "Thats Right, a Good Listerner. What happens if you are not a Good Listener?"
Son: "I go back upstairs" (Said with a sad serious face)

I have a one strike and you're back "up stairs" rule when it comes to the little guy in the shop.-- and he knows I'm not kidding about following through on it.

I have some colored foam fatigue mats on the floor. When I am using the table saw, I alway send him to stand on which ever color is in a safe location away from any possible kick back. Following the rule, he always stays put. When I am using the router / routertable or sanding he isn't allowed in the shop, as I don't have a dust mask that would fit him. I also have a set of hearing protection ear muffs for him. He likes to wear them when playing with his toy tools in our familyroom. Sometimes before playing with a toy tool, he stops and looks at us and says,"Let's talk about shop safety." Do you think he has watched Norm too much with me?
 
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My 3 year old son and I made a little poplar box to put his toy tools in.

We put it together with pocket screws. I set up the Kreg jig, and helped him drill the holes (I held the drill,and he squeezed the trigger). Then I used Kreg's right angle clamp, to hold things in place. Then I helped him drive the screws. My little 9.6v DeWalt drill is great for this. I did all of the cuts, so that wasnt' a concern.

He had alot of fun in the shop that day. Spending time with me in the shop is his favorite thing to do.

Each time before we go down to the shop, I have my "safety briefing" with my son. It goes like this:
Me: "What do you need to be, when you are in the workshop?"
Son: "A good listener!"
Me: "Thats Right, a Good Listerner. What happens if you are not a Good Listener?"
Son: "I go back upstairs" (Said with a sad serious face)

I have a one strike and you're back "up stairs" rule when it comes to the little guy in the shop.-- and he knows I'm not kidding about following through on it.

I have some colored foam fatigue mats on the floor. When I am using the table saw, I alway send him to stand on which ever color is in a safe location away from any possible kick back. Following the rule, he always stays put. When I am using the router / routertable or sanding he isn't allowed in the shop, as I don't have a dust mask that would fit him. I also have a set of hearing protection ear muffs for him. He likes to wear them when playing with his toy tools in our familyroom. Sometimes before playing with a toy tool, he stops and looks at us and says,"Let's talk about shop safety." Do you think he has watched Norm too much with me?

That is AWESOME!:thumb::thumb::thumb:
 
I agree, whatever the kid wants. In these photos, my kid wanted to "build something and make some money." His words. This was a simple Stickley style table that brought about $275 on E-Bay. Shane felt RICH!!!!

He was 9 at the time. We made it out of quartersawn white oak.

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I agree, whatever the kid wants. In these photos, my kid wanted to "build something and make some money." His words. This was a simple Stickley style table that brought about $275 on E-Bay. Shane felt RICH!!!!
I"ll bet that hooked him on woodworking for life. Great job on the part of both of you.
 
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