Free plans: The Marble Roll
Make this magnetic marble roll with the kids, then watch them enjoy constructing infinite paths for the marbles.
View ArticlePuzzles: Lucas and the engine puzzle plus the faucet, the door lock, and the...
Mechanical puzzles: The Faucet, the Lock and the Lawn mower engine and more.
View ArticleWOODSHOP FOR KIDS…is not just woodworking
.....kids in a hurry slow down, kids who think they can’t build anything learn they can, kids who think they know everything learn the don’t, and kids who need adult approval for everything learn to be...
View ArticleMy Wife’s Toolbox
.....I'm not bad with a hammer and saw myself......It drove me crazy to go downstairs to his basement shop and look for the right tool.....
View ArticleSummer Woodworking with Kids Class
This post has pictures of the shop and description of how I organized a class of 10 kids. In the morning it was 6-8 year olds and in the afternoon it was 8-12 year olds.
View ArticleFour Speeds in Reverse
To save money, and as an antidote to book work, my college buddy Joe and I used to work on our VW’s together. VW Repair for the Complete Idiot was our bible and if it failed us Joe, who didn’t like big...
View ArticleA Rube Goldberg Machine from a Treadle sewing Machine
when it quit working I'd say, "can you figure out what's wrong?"
View ArticleSailing Through High School, a nauticaul alternative
“What do we want, a kid who is actively engaged in learning something new everyday or a bored, disaffected teenager, who is reluctantly putting in his time at school?”
View ArticleLucas Discovers Builder Boards
I was surprised a two year old would stick with it for so long
View ArticleWoodshop for Kids: Table of Contents
Below is the Table of contents from Woodshop for Kids
View ArticleFree plans: The Mirror Steeror
Children can steer themselves from short and fat to tall and skinny.
View ArticleBuilder Boards, a Cedar Set
Ford Pranther set me these two wonderful Bulder Board videos of a cedar set he built. The first set I built was using cedar boards, too. Its cheaper and you don’t have to worry about finishing, which...
View ArticleWorld’s Largest Set of Builder Boards goes to the Park
After making the world’s largest set of Builder Boards from recycled and left over plywood, I took them to the park for a few hours. Ages 1 to adult played. Lots of dads and some teenagers. A good...
View ArticleBuilder Boards Update 2: Cutting the Notches
Eventually, someone suggested a shaper and that worked best of all.
View ArticleBUILDER BOARDS, a playhouse kids build themselves
This is a video of the neighborhood kids using Builder Boards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKvfMxHUtS0 Builder Boards, a short history
View ArticleFree Plans: The Rope Machine
“Dad made a rope machine for me when I was a kid. He used coat hangers for the hooks.”. The following instructions detail how to build this rope machine patterned after the 1950s model built by my...
View ArticleHand Carved Skateboards
My brother carves skateboards in the shape of birds or marine creatures.
View ArticleBuilder Boards……24 Years Later
Recently a teacher friend completed a set with her class of sixth graders and told me an amusing story about teaching practical math. She divided the class into groups, gave each group a board and the...
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