Thread: Quick bench for Sam (age 4)

What a ripper! The kids have gotta love that.

I have a 3 yr old named Sam. I can see him wanting one like that real soon. He already loves his toy tools and copying everything dad does.

If you have any ideas for real tools he can use safely let me know.

Best wishes

Steve

I don't believe in giving kids 'pretend' tools as then they don't respect real ones, although rellies have bought him Bob the Builder stuff. I went to Bunnings and bought 'ladies' hammers (honest, that's what it said on the packet), but I've used tack hammers in the past too, anything that isn't too heavy, and a set of mid range Stanley screwdrivers. There's no reason they can't have decent tools - levels, hand drills, tape measures etc. Some will get lost or broken, but they should be given decent experiences, otherwise they'll think it's too hard. And a tool box to keep them in.

I still use the boat level my dad bought me when I was about 6, and the egg beater drill is still here, but only gets used rarely, although its the best tool for the job when you want a delicate hole. I'd still have the screwdrivers too, but some lowlife stole them a few years ago.

If you want to teach them to use a saw, get a junior hacksaw and put a wood blade in it, and they can cut most woods up to about 50mm, although they'll learn patience on anything too hard. Once they can treat tools with respect, they can have more dangerous and delicate stuff. They love the scrapers, too.

They're allowed any bits of wood out of the offcut bin, and anything out of the old screw bucket. If they touch anything else in the workshop, they're under threat of a ban, which they know I'll hold to.

The important thing is that they make stuff. That's the whole point. If they don't make stuff, they will never get it. Three offcuts of pine stud nailed together make a boat. A long stick screwed to a short stick makes a sword.

Thanks Richard, that's great advice.

I can see he'll want his own tool box to go with the bench. Maybe some clamps, screws and nails. It would be good to introduce him to some PPE as well.

I just need to find some space and a lot of patience!

Nice one Richard!!

Agree with your sentiments about pretend vs real tools.

I note the little fellow has a pretty good stance for planing - or sinking a schooner!

Way to go Dad!

Danger Boy was four when we built his bench last year too. I modified an old Gorilla rack and some old cubby boxes, and installed some peg-board.

Very nice! I'm not a pegboard fan, but that's mainly because the workshop is in the flood zone, so everything has to be in boxes so it can be evacuated quickly!

I hadn't planned a vice, but I'll have to work out how to incorporate one.

Good work guys. Gotta keep the young ones happy.