Children's Building Projects
- Building projects can be completed by children of almost any age.seesaw image by McDanny from Fotolia.com
A building project can be a fun and educational experience for children and provide an excellent opportunity to bond with a child. Building projects provide children with critical life skills that may be applied to other areas of their lives. The mathematical expertise, perseverance, fine motor skills and critical thinking required to successfully construct a project can also result in added confidence for a child. For the most rewarding and enjoyable experience, choose an age-appropriate building project. - Constructing a birdhouse can be a rewarding project for children, especially if they are animal lovers. Birdhouse projects are available in a variety of levels of difficulty and may be found online or in local craft or hobby stores. Children as young as toddlers can build a birdhouse by gluing twigs to the outside of a milk carton, while older children can work with an adult to build a traditional wooden birdhouse.
- Children who are athletic and enjoy outdoor activities may be eager to build their own scooter. Although all cutting with an electric saw should be completed by an adult, children can help in measuring and marking the scooter pieces and assembling the scooter. A scooter project is appropriate for children who are 8 years of age or older, because they are familiar with units of measure and have well-developed fine motor skills that are required for assembly. Look for scooter projects at home improvement stores, craft stores or online (see the link in Resources).
- A seesaw is an excellent project for young children because they can receive almost immediate gratification by playing on their creation. It can be built with relatively little effort and may be used for children of all ages and sizes by adjusting the seating position. A homemade seesaw is an affordable project because it requires only a small amount of wood, a tire, concrete and some bolts. Look for a used tire at a tire store and be sure to buy wood that is suitable for use outside.
