Kids in their own workshop

**Lateral Thinker** · 19th November 2006, 03:12 PM

I also begun a thread in Scrollers named "How safe for kids, a Dermel" and the following 3 pargarphs were the begining of my question, but here I am looking for general advice.

copy and paste
I run a workshop for local kids, they dont get the chance to use tools at home. I make and sell wooden toys as a hobby. last year during the school holidays I was out and about and saw one kid sitting on the footpath, asked him what was wrong, he said he had nothing to do, and make him a toy please. I refused, told him to make one himself.

So I begun the kids workshop in my back yard. On fine days I empty a scrap-scrap box outside, a few hammers and nails and the kids commence work. They get to take their creations home. And I closely supervise when a kid asks for the handsaw I keep for them.

Some kids I can not trust, but a few are turning into good woodworkers. ages rang from a 4-year old girl to 11-year olds.

Copy and paste end.

I take a digital picture of each kid when they make something, I use on on-line photo to make up a worthwile order. (about 30-cents NZ per picture currently)

I am asking for general advice and ideas from anybody doing the same with kids. And does anbody know of free information on the WWW for very simple hammer, saw and nail projects for kids? currently the kids are all just creating free form art, if you know what I mean, then I think the better workers should make something from a plan, after which I would them to design something and put it on paper before beginning work building it

**thefixer** · 19th November 2006, 11:25 PM

G'day Peter

Sounds like a very noble thing you are doing and it must give you a lot pleasure to see the kids being creative. My suggestion would be to do as I did for my son when he was much younger and set up a mitre box so they can cut timber without getting hurt and let them nail the pieces together as a basic box. It doesn't matter what it looks like because they will think it is the best thing ever. Trust me, the look of pride from my boy was priceless the first time he made something from timber. As far as nailing the pieces together goes, all kids are going to hit their fingers from time to time, they will get over it.
Hope this helps.
P.S. My young bloke is just 14 years old and has learned to do things as complex as darkside dovetails and is very proficcient on the lathe.

Cheers
Shorty

**jmk89** · 20th November 2006, 01:37 AM

Peter

In response to your request for info on projects on the web for young woodworkers, I don't have info. But there are some good books on the subject which I have bought to get ideas when it comes to introducing my own son (3 y.o.). The best is "Woodshop for Kids" by Jack McKee, which I bought directly from Jack through this website:

http://home.earthlink.net/~mchkee/index.html

You may not agree with everything he says or like every project - but at least it is clear that he has actually used the projects with real kids. Other "kids' projects" look like adults ideas of what kids can do. Some of these are fine, but many miss the mark (IMHO).

Best of luck, Peter - a very worthwhile occupation.

Cheers

Jeremy

**Lateral Thinker** · 20th November 2006, 03:19 PM

you are very correct, each kid, what ever they make, however well they do it, gets more pleasure from it, than by assembling a construction type toy from the shop. locally, most of the kids play with nothing to show at the end of the day. one boy wants to do a pin joint which his teacher at school mentioned to him, i asum thats a dowel joint, which I can do, your dovetails are beyond me, but I tend to work in a difernt area from fine cabinet making.

kids hit their fingers, I tell them thats thier problem, all of a sudden, its no big deal. I was only concerned with cuts from saws at this stage.

the mitre box I did not think of. thanks.

Originally Posted by thefixer

G'day Peter

Sounds like a very noble thing you are doing and it must give you a lot pleasure to see the kids being creative. My suggestion would be to do as I did for my son when he was much younger and set up a mitre box so they can cut timber without getting hurt and let them nail the pieces together as a basic box. It doesn't matter what it looks like because they will think it is the best thing ever. Trust me, the look of pride from my boy was priceless the first time he made something from timber. As far as nailing the pieces together goes, all kids are going to hit their fingers from time to time, they will get over it.
Hope this helps.
P.S. My young bloke is just 14 years old and has learned to do things as complex as darkside dovetails and is very proficcient on the lathe.

Cheers
Shorty

**TassieKiwi** · 20th November 2006, 03:52 PM

You're doing a blooody good job there. Good for you.

This has some great projects. Order here:http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...95&cat=1,44178

**TassieKiwi** · 20th November 2006, 04:03 PM

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...24&cat=51&ap=1

**Lateral Thinker** · 20th November 2006, 04:08 PM

Great, Tassiekiwi, one interest of mine is very old books, take a look on www.archive.org I downloaded a pdf of The Boy Mechanic from Popular Mechanics and Things to Make, a UK book, copyleft (out of copyright) and there is heaps more.

Peter Lateral thinker

Originally Posted by TassieKiwi

You're doing a blooody good job there. Good for you.

This has some great projects. Order here:http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...95&cat=1,44178

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