PRODUCT REVIEWS Archives - Woodworking Street

Well, it's that time of year again. What are some good Christmas gifts for child woodworkers? This is an interesting question to ask, because we all know that woodworking is a highly valuable and satisfying pursuit. It can make an excellent and enjoyable hobby. Why not share woodworking with someone else? The recipient can be a child, nephew, niece, grandchild, or other youngster. This doesn’t matter. However, it's only natural to share something we all enjoy with others. Note: Some of the links below can be affiliate links. For more information, see the disclosure page. Christmas Gifts For Child Woodworkers Giving a Christmas gift for a child can be loads of fun. However, it's not always that easy. There are many things to consider. These include the following: Will the child even enjoy the gift? - Children are not all the same. They have different likes and dislikes. Some children like to put things together and create projects. These individuals might have more of an interest in woodworking. However, others enjoy things such as movies or collecting stamps. These are all positive hobbies. Children might not take to woodworking and fully appreciate a gift that has to do with it.Will the gift be valuable? - People don’t want to waste money. When you choose a gift for a child, you need to have confidence that the present will have worth. However, things that are worth much to one person might not have value to another. So, this really depends on the recipient.Does the gift serve an educational purpose? - We've all seen gifts in stores that are “pieces of junk”. They don’t make a lasting impact and have little value. Wouldn't it be better to find a gift that makes a true difference in a child's life and isn't just an entertaining game? Certain gifts have more educational value than others. However you must be careful not to go overboard in this regard. The child still needs to enjoy the gift.Is the gift dangerous? - Let's face it: Woodworking tools can be dangerous. Tools with sharp rotating blades and powerful motors may not be good for young children. Also, youngsters might not have the skill to make accurate measurements. So, your woodworking gift needs to be "at the proper level" for the young woodworker. I wrote another post about dangerous woodworking tools. How Much To Spend On Christmas Gifts For Child Woodworkers Checking the Internet, I saw that the National Retail Federation had data about Per Person Planned Holiday Gift Spending for family, friends, and co-workers: 20162017201820192020$588.90$608.06$637.67$658.55$650.47 Source Well, these figures are for all of the family members in the years 2016 - 2020. You certainly don't need to spend this much. However, it gives an idea of what other people are spending for their gifts. Also, the value of the gift is not necessarily related to the amount you pay. For example, video game systems might be extremely expensive. However, they might not make the lasting impact you're looking for. You can opt for much less expensive presents. It's amazing to see how generous people are and how eager they are to spend large sums. However, that’s really another matter and I don't want to get off the subject. Also, we need to keep in mind that these figures have to do with holiday gifts in general, not woodworking gifts. However, we can look at a woodworking gift as a typical holiday gift expense. Now that we've looked at some of these matters I'll show you several woodworking gift ideas: #1 - Young Woodworkers Kit Club What is the Young Woodworkers Kit Club? Actually, it's one of the many kit clubs offered by Annie’s. Annie's was founded in 1925. It sells books, magazines, craft kits, and online classes. The products are oriented towards crafting, sewing, knitting, and similar. This Kit club makes it easy to send your son, daughter, niece, nephew, grandchild, or anyone, monthly woodworking projects in a convenient and economical way. The projects are very simple to put together. The age range is 7-12 years. These simple projects are things like a wooden truck, helicopter, candy dispenser, etc. The wood is pre-cut. You don't need to use dangerous power tools. Even the holes are pre-drilled. This makes it easier for younger children to have success with the project. Adult supervision might still be needed. The pre-drilled holes are really a very good feature. They not only make it easier for the child to assemble the project, but they can help avoid catastrophes such as holes drilled into the wood dining table! Also, holes often have to be made in the correct place. Younger children might have a problem with critical measurement skills and have difficulty placing them exactly where they should be. The pre-drilled holes avoid this. The first three shipments will include tools such as hammer, measuring tape, and carpenter's square. Pros Value - This is an excellent way of sharing the love of woodworking with young child. You don’t need to shop for the project pieces and supplies. That material arrives in the mail.Enjoyable - The projects are very simple to make. As an example, one project is a candy dispenser. What child wouldn’t enjoy making one of those?Serves a purpose - The projects are very simple and basic. However they're "educational". For one thing, they help young children develop important skills and abilities in areas such as measurement. Also, they help give the youngsters a feeling of accomplishment when they complete the project and task. In addition, they help develop skills related to patience.Tools - No dangerous power tools are required. This is very important when you consider younger children. However, the child needs to use simple hand tools such as a hammer, screwdriver, etc. Depending on the age and skill of the child, a limited amount of adult supervision might be required. Cons Cost - It probably costs more for the supplies in a kit than it would cost to purchase the same items from a lumber yard. However, you need to consider the extra convenience: The projects arrive in the mail and you don't need to cut any of the pieces to size, drill holes or use dangerous tools. Realism - When you start a typical woodworking project, you need to pick wood planks from the lumber yard or some other source. You don't do this with the project kits: The pieces have been pre-cut with holes pre-drilled. This is a good trade-off: The projects are still simple enough for children yet they're also involved enough to give children a sense of accomplishment. However, older woodworkers might be able to benefit from the use of simple and tools such as a hand saw or a hand coping saw. Join the Young Woodworkers Kit Club #2 - Kraftic Woodworking Building Kit This kit is made for children and contains all the supplies needed to make six projects! Example projects are a miniature table, piggy bank, pen holder, truck, and more. The child will have a great time putting these projects together, and will pick up some valuable skills along the way. For example, it's necessary to use a hammer and other hand tools to put the pieces together. This helps to build eye hand coordination. Also, it can help improve fine motor skills. In addition, these kits can improve measurement skills. What’s the difference between #2 - Kraftic Woodworking Building Kit and #1 - Young Woodworkers Kit Club? Well, with #1 you purchase a membership for a new project each month while #2 is a one-time-purchase of 6 projects. Is one better than the other? Some people feel that memberships make better gifts. However, others favor one-time-purchases. This is an individual choice. Pros Parts - All the parts you need are included in the shipment. So, you don't need to get extra tools, screws, and so on. Of course, you can still purchase extra tools if you want to do this and feel that they would help.Educational - When children work on these projects they learn new things and develop skills. These can include measurement skills, skills involving accuracy, and also fine motor skills. In another post, I find that that measurement is important.Accomplishment - When a child finishes a project, he/she can develop a sense of accomplishment and pride in a job well done.Share - The gift-giver can share his/her love of woodworking with the child. Maybe, you can "spark" an interest in woodworking! You already know that woodworking is a satisfying hobby. Why not share that with a young child? Cons Supervision - Since the young child needs to work with a hammer and nails, some adult supervision might be required.Expense - You don’t need to pay too much for 6 projects. However, would it make more financial sense to buy the parts directly from the lumber yard? Nevertheless, the kit is very convenient and makes a great gift!Realism - Assembly of the pre-cut kit is “not quite like the real thing”. That is, you don’t follow all the steps you would with a typical project. For one, you don’t pick out planks of wood from the lumber yard. Also, you don’t cut and shape the pieces. Much of the work is done for you already. You don’t gain certain skills as a result. See the Kraftic Woodworking Building Kit on Amazon #3 - Melissa & Doug Build-Your-Own Wooden Birdhouse Melissa & Doug is a well-known toy manufacturer. They make wooden toys such as puzzles, educational toys, and other items. This birdhouse is very easy to assemble. They also include parts you need such as screws, paint, and a paintbrush. It makes a great gift for a child 5 to 10 years of age. First, it’s fun for the child to make the birdhouse during rainy days. Also, the child develops a feeling of accomplishment when the item is completed. The child develops valuable skills when putting together the birdhouse. These include fine motor skills and even artistic skills. Pros Easy-to-assemble - Good for younger child. However, some adult supervision might be required.Educational - This makes a great gift. Since you can put it to use outdoors, the child might actually be interested in finding out more birds and nature. Also he/she can learn more about projects and woodworking.Wood - The birdhouse is made of durable wood rather than plastic. After the child completes the birdhouse, he/she might be eager to work on other wooden projects. Hopefully, he/she can adopt woodworking as an actual hobby. Christmas gifts for child woodworkers? This is just what you're looking for! Cons Single project - The birdhouse kit only includes supplies for a single project. Other kits include supplies for a number of projects. Also, there are ones that allow you to receive a new project each month with a subscription.Like gift - Will the child even like this gift? Probably. However, this isn't always the case. It really depends on the individual child. Do they like to build things, put things together? Do they like the outdoors and nature? Will they want to go into the woods and hang this birdhouse up? Will they check to see if birds come? It’s hard to say. However, this type of gift might not be good for all kids. See the Melissa & Doug Build-Your-Own Wooden Birdhouse on Amazon #4 - Real Leather Kids Tool Belt for Kids Woodworking Children This tool belt is kid sized and made out of suede leather. So, it's durable and will not tear easily. It makes the perfect gift for junior builders and helpers. This belt has a waist size of 21 inches to 28 inches. So, it will fit many younger children! Also, it will hold numerous tools, such as a hammer, pencils, a measuring tape, etc. The belt is heavy-duty and weighs less than a pound. Pros All children - This durable tool belt can be used by both boys and girls. The tool belt can actually hold real tools. It allows children to help out older woodworkers, as well as have fun.Child or adult tools - This tool belt is made to hold child-sized size or even adult-sized tools. This lets the child woodworker help a parent or grandparent. They can actually carry full-sized hammers, measuring tapes, or other tools needed for a woodworking project.Durable - This is not made of cheap plastic. It’s constructed of suede leather.Organization - This can really help the child develop organizational skills. They can see the importance of keeping items in one place so they're always available. They can have a more satisfying experience, and get more done! Cons Bulky - Because it’s so sturdy, it might not be as flexible as one made from cheaper materials. However, cheaper materials would make it less durable. If you feel this is important, remove it from the list of Christmas gifts for child woodworkers! See the Kids Tool Belt on Amazon #5 - Craftsy Why am I putting this here? What does this have to do with woodworking? As you may know, Craftsy offers streamed courses. That is, you can play them on your computer without having to put in a DVD for the course, much like Netflix. These cover all sorts of craft topics, including woodworking. Some of the courses do not require the use of power tools, and might be suitable for advanced child woodworkers. Also, these courses cover a wealth of related topics, such as crafting, drawing, and painting. These can have educational value and be useful to young woodworkers. In addition, courses really have value as gifts. Rather than a one-time project, you’re teaching the child new skills. The situation relates to this proverb: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for life- Proverb Well, the "course" is the “fish” . So, a "course" might make a better gift than a “toy” that doesn't make a lasting impression on the child. If the child learns a new skill due to the course, the entire life of the child can be affected in a positive way. Pros Not a “one time gift” - With a project kit, you work on it and you’re done. However, with the streamed courses, you can see one course, then move to another. You can always find something new.Educational - Courses can teach you new things. These can make lasting impacts and have extreme value. When looking for Christmas gifts for child woodworkers, consider this.Covers many topics - The courses are not limited to one topic or area. Some are related to woodworking while others might not bear as close a relationship. Cons May be too advanced - Many of the woodworking courses deal with power tools. They may be too advanced for children. These might be too dangerous for younger woodworkers.Not just woodworking - The courses cover material other than woodworking. So, you’re paying for courses about other things. However, this may not be a real disadvantage: Most people don’t have just one interest. Exposure to other areas might reveal new interests and be a positive experience. Conclusion A child woodworker might be a son, daughter, nephew, niece, grandchild or any youngster. He/she might help a grandparent take measurements, hold tools, like to "build things", and so on. What should you get children like this for Christmas or the other holidays? What are the Christmas gifts for child woodworkers? There are really many possibilities: These include subscriptions for project kits to arrive every month, packages with a fixed number of woodworking projects, and other alternatives. 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