If you’re looking for a fun activity that will entertain your children while teaching them important life skills such as building something with their hands, why not involve them in a woodworking project?
Teaching your kids woodworking at an early age is an excellent way of engaging them in skills that they will hold for a lifetime.
The best part is that woodworking with your kids will bring you joy, a sense of accomplishment upon completion, and invaluable quality time spent bonding even long after the tools have been put away.
This article will guide you through three rather simple woodworking projects that will give you and your children an incredible sense of achievement, see more to learn about it.
1. Outdoor Storage Chest
If you have a kid or two running around your house tearing everything down, then you probably have stuff lying all across your house and yard such as balls, buckets, and all sorts of toys.
A simple outdoor storage chest is really just a plywood box dressed up with solid wood slats. It’s an easy project that you can finish in one day. You’re going to need a circular or table saw, clamps, and a drill. You’ll also need exterior wood screws, wood glue, construction adhesive, and tee hinges.
2. A Chopping Board
It’s going to be very hard for you to get it wrong with a chopping board. It is easy to make and will most definitely get used in the kitchen. To make your own cutting board, you’re going to need untreated hardwood, sandpaper, a table saw, mineral oil used to prepare meals, and a clean cloth.
With these materials in check, all you’ll need is to draw your design on the board and cut it out with the saw. Wipe off any wood dust and apply the mineral oil using the clean cloth.
3. The Classic Birdhouse
Of the three woodworking projects, building a birdhouse is probably the one that kids of any age will enjoy the most. Birdhouses or nesting boxes as they’re otherwise referred to, provide a safe place for birds to build their nests and protect them from predators and harsh weather.
Birdhouses are easy to construct. Use a saw to cut the sides out of a wooden plank and place the pieces on a protected surface. Using a circular saw to draw a hole on one side of the birdhouse to create an opening for the birds to fly in and out.
Fill the birdhouse with birdseed and place it at a convenient location outside where you can do some bird watching.
With Glowforge, Projects Will Forever Be a Breeze
Keeping kids occupied can be overwhelming. They have a natural and insatiable curiosity for creating things and they enjoy the challenge.
One of the most beautiful things about woodworking is that it spans different generations. Whether you’re old, young, or somewhere in between, there are woodworking projects you can take on depending on your skill level.
The DIY projects listed above are easy enough for your kids as beginner woodworkers, even those who have never used a hammer before. One brand of products, however, that you should consider is Glowforge. Projects of any kind can be handled with Glowforge products be it wood, fabric, rubber, and even leather.
However, make sure that the kids are supervised by a careful adult whenever your kids engage in any Glowforge projects,