Gone are the days of learning to use hand tools in the school expense classroom. The disappearance of this educational opportunity has resulted in a lifelong loss of practical skills and limited student exposure to early professional careers. Putting the tools in the hands of our children now belongs to parents and guardians. Especially for less capable adults, it's not always clear where children start. Fortunately, there are a growing number of courses and resources available online and in cities across the United States.
Private classes
Home Depot: National
With 2,300 stores in North America, Home Depot will soon be available. Be sure to check out DIY tutorials for kids on your site. The little ones will receive tools for seasonal projects, like a scarecrow napkin holder or Christmas decorations. If you can't make it to the workshop, the shop will send you a workshop kit so you don't run out. If your kids want even more, have them follow through with one of the home business's online project guides.
Randall Museum: San Francisco
The Randall Museum is a great starting point in the San Francisco Bay Area. Children up to two and a half years old (accompanied by an adult) can enroll in a carpentry course. There are also plenty of options for older children. Teens can learn how to use tools, build a shaker bench, or even take an architecture class. The interior design category allows designer wives to build furniture and then choose fabrics and decorations for a miniature apartment.
Retouching school: Chicago, San Francisco, Apex, NC and Austin, TX.
Tinkering School's mission is "to create great hands-on learning opportunities for children everywhere". Their creative building programs are available in San Francisco, Chicago, Austin, Texas and Apex, NC.
Do you want to give your kids a truly engaging hands-on experience? Send them for a week-long overnight camp at Tinkering School in San Francisco or Apex, North Carolina. According to the organization's website, kids ages 7 and up spend a week "creating, failing, and learning epic proportions" while designing a project. . and construction projects, from birdhouses to roller coasters.
Elliott School of Fine and Applied Arts: Boston
Children ages 4 and up can learn woodworking at the Elliott School of Fine and Applied Arts in Boston. Children learn to use hand tools from simple projects to larger and more complex projects. The Patchwork and Invention categories are accessible to an average audience. The school works with local schools and organizations to bring woodworking education to the wider community.
RELATED: 30 Home Projects Anyone Can Do
Followers: Denver, Seattle, the San Francisco Bay Area and Portland, Oregon.
Trackers are great for kids and outdoor survival. Focusing on teaching adults and children how to thrive in the outdoors, Trackers teach life skills from woodworking and blacksmithing to wilderness survival and driving. They offer after-school programs and day and overnight camps in Seattle, San Francisco Bay Area, Denver, and Portland, Oregon.
Beam Center: New York and Stafford, New Hampshire
The Beam Center brings young people together to “learn skills in fabrication, prototyping, metalworking, physical computing, construction and design,” according to its website. Based in Brooklyn, they partner with New York schools to promote hands-on learning and educational equality. Want to join the party? Children ages 11-17 can join Beam Camp, an overnight offering in Stafford, New Hampshire. They will spend their days focusing on design, construction, computing and manufacturing, both independently and in the community. Also keep an eye out for the annual Inventgenuity Family Festival in downtown New York.
Rockville Woodwork - The Woodworkers Club: Rockville, Maryland.
Outside of Washington, DC, Woodcraft of Rockville offers classes for kids ages 8-11. Skills classes focus on the use of basic hand tools and woodworking techniques. They also hold seminars on projects such as making a wooden toolbox and building a toy. Teenagers learn more advanced skills and can choose to make household items or candy dispensers.
Related: 10 Woodturning Tools Every Beginner Needs
New York Science Hall: Queens, New York
The term Makerspace has been a buzzword in recent years. A production site is a place equipped with tools and materials where people can meet to build and create. The New York Hall of Science has a unique creative space for children. The area intended for outdoor practice and exploration includes woodworking, plastering, etc. Composed of tools and materials for
Dumbo Workshop: Brooklyn, New York
Based in Brooklyn, the goal is to "share the simple joy and satisfaction of building something with your own hands." The Dumbo Workshop introductory lesson consists of four sessions and includes learning how to use a table saw, miter saw, planer, orbital sander and a drill, resulting in a hardwood junction box. Continuous learning is possible through special projects, power tool lessons and one-on-one sessions.
Related: Building Your Basic Toolkit: 20 Tools You Can't Live Without
Online resources
built by children
BuiltByKids.com is an online resource for those who don't have in-store classes in their area, or for adults who prefer to get involved in DIY projects with their kids. Visitors can find articles on topics such as what to include in your child's first kit and how-to tutorials for simple projects. Company founder Timothy Dale said the company's main mission was to "guide children to self-sufficiency". “We start at an early age by introducing real tools and teaching kids how to use them properly,” he says. The emphasis is not on perfection, but rather on curiosity and a willingness to try.
no class
Outschool is known for its extensive catalog of online courses. Check out this introductory woodworking lesson for kids ages 8-12. The course covers simple hand tools and teaches step-by-step projects. The lesson is pre-recorded, so the start time fits your schedule.
RELATED: 25 DIY Projects That Don't Use Any Power Tools
Youtube
No apps in your area? When all else fails, there's always YouTube. Kids who follow Blippi's YouTube tutorials will love the tutorials in her shop. Start with this video to learn more about the tools. There's also handyman Hal who has plenty of videos for gadget lovers. For seniors, I Like To Make Stuff has great store intro videos to introduce your kids to hands-on projects.
