Real tools for young children

When you were 12, you built an AM radio inside a Tic Tac box. Your kid, however, lives in a world of Arduino-type microcontrollers that can operate robots. Don't be intimidated, though. The essentials of electronics and the tools used to work with them haven't changed much. So grab your trusty old pencil-tipped iron and a spool of rosin-core solder, go over a few basic skills—tinning stranded wire is a good start—and beam as your kid's chess-playing robot dominates the next science fair.

No cutting tool is more versatile than a jigsaw. It produces curvy shapes in wood, plastics, and thin metals, making it ideal for kid-friendly projects such as, well, jigsaw puzzles. It also provides a valuable lesson in recognizing a power tool's limits. As your child turns the jigsaw into a curve, he or she will feel the tension in the blade as it binds against the material.

Too much and the blade will break. Your child's first power tool is one of the safest and most versatile. To start, skip the drill bits—they'll just get broken. Instead, clip the head off a finish nail and chuck it up; it takes more abuse, and it's easier to replace. Are your children ready for a grown-up tool? That's for you to decide.

Young woodcutters need at least a year's apprenticeship to learn the safe handling of a chain saw. These tools can be placed or hung around the leather tool belt except for the hammer. This tool set and tool belt combo also works as a costume accessory for children who wish to dress up like Bob the Builder or other handy cartoon characters.

And since the tools are all real, your child will not complain about having unrealistic tools. Some younger children may play with the set as long as they have adults supervising them. Consumer Rating 4. In this list, the Grizzly kits take top prize for having the highest number of included tools. It has eleven 11 pieces of tools. They are:. Kids will need to construct it using their new tool set. Younger kids will need to be supervised when using these tools.

Note that all tools are real and will work just like the real thing. Consumer Ratings 4. The Grip 9-piece tool kit is especially made with double injected grip handles to fit the tiny hands of children aged 4 years old and up. Special instructions should be made prior to the use of the scissors and other sharp-edged tools as well.

The children can then screw the screws in the rest of the way using a screwdriver. Then allow the children to hammer the golf tees in. These have a much wider surface for the children to aim and hit. Check out our pinterest board for some more great ideas and inspiration on real tools in the early years. Your email address will not be published. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Could you introduce real tools in your setting?

What are the benefits of using real tools?