How to Teach Kids About Tools

Teaching your kids about tools and how to use them properly should be an important task on a parent's to-do list. By giving them step-by-step instructions and demonstrating the safe use of tools, parents can teach their kids invaluable life skills so that they will be self-sufficient.

Things You'll Need

• Hammer
• Screwdriver
• Cordless drill
• Nails and screws
• Small rectangular wood pieces
• Kids' play tool set

Instructions

Explaining About Tools

1. Gather all the tools together for your lesson. For example, you could bring various types of hammers, screwdrivers, drills, nails and screws.

2. Line up the tools in front of your child.

3. Pick up the tools one-by-one and explain what each is used for, the differences between each and projects for which they can be used. For example, a ripping hammer should be used for small carpentry projects, while a soft-face hammer should be used for working on furniture, home decor pieces and picture hanging.

4. Explain to your kids about general safety practices and tool safety guidelines for each type of tool. For example, information about hammers should include teaching your kids about leaving enough space for the swing and to swing using the elbow and not the wrist. Other safety guidelines include having a good grip and watching out for your fingers if using small tools and parts.

Demonstrating Tool Use

1. Use the small rectangular wood pieces to demonstrate how to use each tool. For the hammer, pound nails into the wood pieces to show it's done. For the screwdriver and drill, demonstrate by driving screws into the wood pieces.

2. Let your child mimic your actions with a toy tool set. Another option at this stage would be to have them use your real tools but to carefully guide their hands and actions to pound nails into the wood and use the hammers and screwdrivers.

3. Engage your child in a hands-on project that requires the use of the tools you demonstrated. Examples: Help him build a small birdhouse for the backyard, hang picture frames throughout the house or fix loose doorknobs with a screwdriver.

Tips & Warnings

• Never leave your child unsupervised around tools.

References

• The Art of Manliness
• Tool Snob