Do you build things with your kids? Meaning with wood, a hammer, and nails? If not, give it a try. Home Depot has Kids Workshops every first Saturday of the month and they are FREE! We went for May’s planter box project, and each child went home with a cute little apron, a pin marking their participation in May’s workshop, a painted planter that they built, and a strawberry plant. The staff was friendly and helpful, and my kids enjoyed being carpenters for the morning.
The workshops at Home Depot take place the first Saturdays of the month from 9 a.m. – noon. Each Saturday they host a different project. Home Depot provides a kit with instructions and everything you need to build the project, such as hammers, nails, wood glue, etc. It is a great learning experience for your child, because you can teach them how to read instructions by words or pictures and how to use tools safely. Our planter box project didn’t take us long. I believe in about 45 minutes we checked in, built it, painted it, picked our strawberry plants, and were on our way home. If I knew acquiring “wood skills” was this easy, we’d be 
building all sorts of things!
Aprons go home with the children – ours are hanging in the garage in case daddy needs help with something or for when we hit the next workshop. I believe in June the project is an organizer box, which would be a great Dad’s Day gift! Or, I was thinking of putting squinkies in them – maybe it will keep those tiny toys out of my silverware drawer, the dog food, or getting stuck inside their sippy cups. Check out their website for further information and a Home Depot location near you: www.homedepot.com.
If you go:
- Go early – less crowded.
- Bring wet wipes or plan to take the kids to the bathroom to wash their hands. My kids had paint all over their hands when we left.
- Trying to gauge age – I would say three and up. I would fear a two year old or baby would grab a nail and shove it in their mouth. I know you’re watching them, but those little buggers can be fast!
- They had paper plates for the freshly-painted wet boxes to sit on for the car ride, just be sure to have space for them.
