6 year old... future woodworker

[Kent A Bathurst]

You'd of thought he built the Taj Mahal after sanding the wood and putting in one screw!

Bonnie - that is exactly what it looks like to me. He did build the Taj.

[Bonnie Campbell]

He is so proud of anything he makes. He's a joy to work with really. At his age the quicker the results the better. So I try staying with easily completed projects.

I showed him the tools I ordered for him tonight. His eyes lit up when he saw the drill. I'm starting to get scared! lol

I sure do appreciate all you guys input on this. You've had some great tips

[Kent A Bathurst]

Tell him we said "Hey!", and we want to see photos of his future work.

So cool, Bonnie. Big smiles.

[Frederick Skelly]

Giving him a board to practice on is good. He may be feeling pressure to "get it right" because you are making a specific project that he wants to get perfect. You can turn it into a game for him to make a smiley face out of nails or paint lines or graphics for him to trace with a line of nails. Before he realizes it, he'll be hammering like a pro.

Why don't you ask him if he's having fun spending time out in the shop with you? He might surprise you and ask if he can build something you haven't thought of yet. Some of my best childhood memories are of spending time with my grandfather out in his shop. Not only did we build things, but we took things apart and put them back together too!

Taking this just a little further..... after you have him practice hammering nails, give him a 5 gallon bucket full of different sized scraps and tell him to have at it. I played for days when my dad's buddy did that for me. Another good and useful project is a wooden tool caddy. Simple for the two of you to make and he'll be able to proudly carry all his stuff around in it. He can even paint it.

[William Mason]

An old stump on the back porch might work, too. When the top is full, just turn it over.

As for Coffee Tables and Lawn Tractors, it's never too early to teach him "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".

[Bonnie Campbell]

I should have waited on telling him about the drill. Ten days is an eternity for a 6 yr old lol Every day after school I hear "Is it here yet Memaw?!?"

[Kent A Bathurst]

I should have waited on telling him about the drill. Ten days is an eternity for a 6 yr old lol Every day after school I hear "Is it here yet Memaw?!?"

Grandmothers and grandkids have equal self-restraint. You were excited. You wanted him excited. You are. He is. Perfect.

What's the big deal? You have a few days to get all the details sorted out so that when the drill arrives, you are ready for the next project...........cause he is gonna want to go to town the second that package opens up........