Children possess an innate curiosity that prompts them to explore new horizons on their own, if you find your child is particularly inquisitive when it comes to making and fixing things, then getting them their very own toolkit can be a really great way to nurture and develop those interests.
We’ve put together 10 DIY tips for children to make the transition from curious child to seasoned DIYer a smooth one.
Teach Using Real Tools
Once a child reaches around the age of 8, provided they are sensible under supervision, you can allow them to use real tools. You can buy child-size tools at home improvement centres or on-line at eCommerce platforms such as Amazon.
Hammer Away
It seems we come out of the womb with an invisible hammer in our hand. Kids love to make the pounding motion that resembles a hammer. Teach hammering skills by allowing your child to pound away with a rubber mallet, or if they’re old enough a child-size real hammer.
Wrench Practice
Spanners are a staple in any toolbox, and most tradesman find a use for them pretty much on a daily basis. Drive a few coloured nuts into a board and then let your son or daughter use a wrench to match colour-coordinated nuts with the bolts as a starting point.
An Exercise in Sawing
Sawing requires detailed attention to safety. Start children off slow by securing a piece of polystyrene to a workbench with a clamp and allow your child to saw the foam into thick strips. Precision isn’t as important as teaching the correct sawing method in these early stages.
How to Use a Screwdriver
Do you remember how difficult it was as a child to master the skill of driving screws? Well, teach this DIY skill early in life to build a child’s confidence. Use a child-sized screwdriver and practice driving screws into drywall initially, instead of thicker wood which is much less forgiving.
Height Matters
Nothing frustrates a kid more than performing DIY at the wrong height. You don’t want teaching moments unfolding on workbenches that kids can’t access. Purchase an adjustable child-size workbench that doesn’t wobble, or else make prevision with foot a foot stool to make a more comfortable working height for your son or daughter.
Safety First
Kids that learn DIY safety rules tend to abide by the same safety rules later in life. Important safety rules teach children of the need to wear safety goggles, and safety shoes, and the need to clean workspaces after each project, all great life skills and knowledge.
Learn from Mistakes
The natural reaction to a child’s DIY mistake is to finish the project yourself. Avoid doing it for them and take of advantage of teaching them at their own pace, and ultimately allow them to complete projects on their own.
Take Apart and Rebuild
Children learn how to perform DIY projects by taking apart objects and then putting them back together. Whether you need a rotating fan motor cleaned or a toaster rewired for operation, disassembling and reassembling objects offer golden DIY teaching moments… Just be sure to carefully inspect the end result before using the item again!
Have Fun!
Perhaps the best DIY tip as far as children are concerned boils down to having making sure they have fun. Kids resist learning new things if they feel forced into learning them, so it’s always best for them to express an interest in developing practical skills first before actually putting tools in their hands.
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