Wood working projects for children to do

[DiscoStu]

My daughter is starting a junior Duke of Edinburgh award programme and has decided that her new hobby will be wood working.

So I'm after some nice simple ideas for things that she could make.

I've thought bird-box and desk tidy, but I'm sure you will have some ideas. Obviously it needs to be simple as it is for a 10 year old to make.

Thanks in advance!

 

[jdeacon]

I think Steve Ramsey (Woodworking for Mere Mortals) has at least a couple of videos on YouTube of projects for children.

 

[novocaine]

spoons.
perfect for DOE, she can take them with her on the walks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krAIHRCx9R0

 

[Racers]

Or you could do spoon carving properly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW2DN46lrqk

Pete

 

[novocaine]

yes you could.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjK2yKZEPZQ

 

[DiscoStu]

To be clear this is for junior D of E so she is 10. So I don't think carving is an option. More drilling holes and hitting thinks with hammers.

I think a bird box is an option, but though you guys might have some ideas

 

[user 19915]

Have a look at this just to get them started
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIR1wahPc3k

 

[Sheffield Tony]

To be clear this is for junior D of E so she is 10. So I don't think carving is an option.

One of the first things I saw when I arrived at the Bodger's ball in May was a 4WD parked up, with a couple of young children behind it amusing themselves with bits of wood, hatchets and sharp knives ... an unusual event. But perhaps not the approach for everyone. I helped out on an evening of whittling with the scouts - I think I aged a couple of years by the end of it.

I did a bird table with a roof with my son when he was quite young. And a tea-light candle holder as a present for mum - drilling holes especially with an augur can be quite fun.

 

[whiskywill]

How about a bee box? Simple and very useful.... for bees.
http://soggibottom.blogspot.co.uk/2009/ ... ow-to.html

 

[Halo Jones]

Paul Sellers does have some blogs on projects for children. They all use a coping saw, spoke shave, maybe a drill. I think the projects are like spatulas, small chopping boards etc.

My 6 yo favourite "project" is to get a block of wood and hammer nails into it until he has produced a "robot". He also likes to use his coping saw to make random cuts into pieces of wood. Although not producing anything it means I can teach him how to use things safely. Which is mainly use the vice to hold things and never put your hand/fingers in front of the sharp thing! So far he has bashed his fingers a few times but hasn't cut himself yet!

H.

 

[Racers]

yes you could.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjK2yKZEPZQ

Mmm not really spoon shaped is it, and he takes a big chunk from the bowl at one point.


Pete

 

[johnwc812]

Hi,
Four relatively simple projects:
Solitaire board with indentations with a countersink bit, (usualy round board but a square one would be easier).
Noughts and crosses game.
A marble maze, the route achieved by tilting the board.
A puzzle cube made from 27 one inch cubes of wood.

All the above can be Googled to find differing designs.

I always think the finish is important- so plenty of sanding and waxing
to bring out the best of the wood grain.
Cheers John

 

[Mr_P]

+1 For bird box

Solitaire, just one hole slightly misaligned and it will look awful.
Puzzle cube, making perfect one inch cubes is quite tricky for a newbie, if cubes are provided it will just be a glueing exercise. However if a box was made for the cube with sliding lid and a few interesting holes in the sides then it should be award worthy.

 

[Owl]

I made one of these for my g/granddaughter, simple to do with a couple of bits of square/ round wood and dowels, all super glued in place.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Birdbx batbox or bird table are all good ideas.
When my nephew asked to make something for his DofE (although a few years older, 13 or so) I let him go through my library and he chose a Shaker step-stool. He did a smashing job and the following year did a very nice shaker table. I thought that they would be too challenging but he proved me wrong.

 

[user 19915]

I like bertie bassett well done sir

 

[Ghengis]

A phone holder

 

[DiscoStu]

I did see an iPad stand and thought that might be an option.

 

[DiscoStu]

So today "we" made a noughts and crosses game.

Basically we countersunk some holes for marbles to sit in and routered some lines to make the board. We also drilled two deep holes to store the marbles when not in use. It was just made from a scrap of 4" x 2" that I'd used to make my work bench.

Id rethink the "door" if I were to build it again as it's not neat enough. Overall I think it's good and my daughter enjoyed making it.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Overall I think it's good and my daughter enjoyed making it.

And that, my friend, is what it's all about.