Mechanical projects for kids

[Grant Gunderson]

I’m looking for a fun mechanical project to do with my 6 year old son. He’s really into anything with wheels, loves to mountian bike with me and he’s starting to learn a bit to work on his bike.

I’m just looking for something a bit more to teach him about mechanics maybe a little wiring etc. ideally something we can make more advanced as he learns / progresses and gets older. Fwiw I have a pretty complete shop with mill, lathe, etc

Was ideally looking for an electric mini dirt bike kit we could build up together, then I found these kits
https://www.infento.com/kits/

Anyone have an experience with them or other project ideas?

 

[rockettauto]

Way more minor but it's basic circuits to start with and easy evening projects.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09K6637J1/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Citation]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084GZ2WRT/?tag=atomicindus08-20

We've been using this set. The tools can be frustrating because they way err on the side of safety but they also are quite safe given we are dealing with a saw, drill, disc sander and lathe.

Another fun project might be fixing an old RC car. I can't offer a suggestion regarding good or bad kits/deals but as a preteen I learned a lot trying to assemble a box of used RC car parts. Zooming out, I think taking just about anything apart to see how it works is really helpful. That was something I did all the time as a kid... not always to my parent's happiness.

 

[racecougar]

Those kits don't look too bad, but seem pricy for what's provided. I do agree with the philosophy of working on a project which has a rideable/enjoyable end result, rather than tinkering just for the sake of tinkering. Putting something together that the kid will be able to ride in the end seems to keep them interested much longer.

I involved my daughter in a small engine rebuild for a riding mower and assembly of her Power Wheels when she was three, a carb rebuild and minor wiring for a ATV when she was four, and I just picked up a sand rail to re-wire, re-plumb, and teach other mechanics like alignment/steering/brakes/clutch to her now that she's five. Putting something together or fixing a component, then going for a ride, has been a pattern that has worked for us.

 

[RPH]

Getting them involved is the secret. I always explained what it does, how it works, and what we are looking for. They pick tidbits up and surprisingly will piece things together as you go. If you can find an old lawn mower motor and tear it down for an autopsy. He gets tools with dad. Nothing to break as it’s broken already. But seeing it, touching it and you telling him the why’s. This will make shop time fun..
I would wait a few years on the bike kit. So much to do and so little time.
Have fun and enjoy watching your boy learn. Girls too, they work the same way in the shop.

 

[BD55]

I struggle with this also - I have 5 kiddos that love to come out into the garage or shop, but often it's difficult to have a project they can safely work on their own or help with. We got a few of the Kiwico kits from some family and the kids loved doing them, but they are more a learning tool and don't require much skill to put together so they weren't very challenging. I agree with above taking stuff apart or messing with stuff that is already broken. I did that as a kid and it's a great way to learn how stuff works with minimal consequences. I also did RC cars/trucks and those are excellent for teaching a lot of really fundamental principles - electronics (closed loop systems, radios, batteries, telemetry), kinematics, dynamics, materials science, physics, etc. There are still tons of kits you can get to build or you can get an RTR kit (I'd suggest a Traxxas mini Revo), which can be upgraded over time as skills increase and/or parts inevitably break. Learning RC fed into my understanding of motor sports stuff and definitely helped me learn how to ride quads and not do too-stupid of stuff on them, and I still enjoy bashing around RC trucks with my kids.

That being said - those Infento kits looks pretty sweet!

 

[jbfab]

Not exactly what you're looking for, but my Uncle got me one of these for Christmas when I was young. I'm 42 now and will never forget it.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0035XSZDI/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[rockettauto]

There's a ton of interesting stuff but I find they're pretty limited until about 9-11, I'm always buying them things a few years over their head. 6 is difficult. With my 5 year this usually turns into me letting him pull the trigger on the power tool each iteration and asking him to tell me how he thinks parts go together.

I'd be loaded with ideas in the 8-11 range.

 

[kbs2244]

I like the kit idea

Pick one that will not be outgrown soon

Adding a light will be a wiring lesson

The instructions will teach how to read for meaning, a skill that is often not taught

 

[nadogail]

An Erector Set got me started.

 

[engineer2]

Random basic skills:
How to put air in a bike tire
Battery types and how to replace them.
Safety: why you need gloves and goggles sometimes.
How to hammer a nail.
How to solder. I still remember my mom teaching me when I was about 5 or 6. No idea how she knew.

 

[jonesg]

meccano erector set, then FF model airplanes. then RC model planes, not the ready to fly foam rubbish.
then pedal bikes, then girls and back to motorbikes and cars.

 

[strutaeng]

I just bought my oldest son a road bike since he outgrew his 20" mountain bike. We've been riding on the weekends and we like it, mostly paved trails. He's 11 and sometimes wonders into my garage when I'm messing around. My 5 year old son does the same.

As far as mechanical projects, how about rebuilding a small engine like a weed eater engine, lawn mower engine or air compressor pump? Small project but he'll learn the fundamentals and learn to use tools and terminology.

 

[Citation]

I don't think my dad went out of his way to show me thing when I was a kid. However, I saw him do so much that I had a lot of exposure. Tools and things I could take apart were all around. My curiosity did the rest. None of my sibs were quite as fixated on taking things apart as I was (or fixing things... not always the same) however, I would say that all of my sibs ended up being reasonably handy. The differences are as much interest as anything. Even now, the others do thing often out of an interest in getting the job done while I will still try things just because I'm curious.

Anyway, I think having stuff around for your son to try is as important as anything.

 

[no704]

I alwas liked the see thru V8 engine plastic models.

 

[kbs2244]

How to solder

this is one that missed me
I had to teach myself in pre youtube days
the mysteries of the correct flux was a hard lesson

 

[jonesg]

I alwas liked the see thru V8 engine plastic models.

I built one of those, it had little light bulbs for the spark plugs.

 

[Houdini5150]

With my son, I had him help do basic tune ups and maintenance on the bikes. Maybe a little hammering here and there. Those kits look cool.

There are these snap circuits on amazon that are kind cool. Just may run out of what to do and need to expand the kit.

 

[niget2002]

I picked up a go kart that someone was throwing away. It had no motor or brakes.

We built an engine mount for it and installed an engine. Then we bought and installed brakes. He helped with a good chunk of it (except for the welding). As I was 'engineering' parts for it, I'd show him the issue I was trying to solve and he'd try to help come up with a solution.

 

[JJ Quick]

Lotta good dads here.
To this day I am thankful for my B-I-L.

JJ

 

[CSRPenFab]

I've been a shade-tree bike mechanic for about 40 years... I've always loved working on bikes and have amassed a bike shop level of tools/parts in my garage. When my kids were young, I'd always involve my two boys in repairs/maintenance so they'd learn the basics. As word got out around the hood, we became the neighborhood bike shop. Neighbors would bring us bikes of all sorts for repairs/upgrades, and we'd do them free of charge if they paid for parts/supplies. My boys both got quite good at swapping tires/tubes, dialing in indexed shifting systems, tweaking cantilever brakes (pre disc), etc., and they were the studs of the neighborhood as a result!

Now their 24 and 27, but they know tools and how to use them, largely from this experience growing up. Put the word out and get your son involved in some bike repairs. I still hate working on department store grade crappy POS bikes, but it's the price we pay.

 

[Bill Bowman]

I think that I got an erector set at about 6 years old. Hundreds of screws, sharp steel, electric motor, gears, sprockets, chain, etc. What could possibly go wrong?

 

[Grant Gunderson]

Thanks guys. Lots of good suggestions here.

 

[nadogail]

My kid was challenged by a glue together plane kit.

 

[Spareparts]

I got my Grandson into pulling garden tractors whem he was 3, he pulled my tractor a wheel horse with me walking alongside.
He did that for a couple of years and he was hooked, that winter we built his own tractor, moved the pedal shafts back to fit
his short legs. He helped with the build, did all the painting/with aerosoil cans. The only thing he wasn't keen on was the welding
that will come. The bad part of all of this is he has accumilated a lot more trophies than me. The really good thing besides the skills he
started learning is when he get's something out of the tool box is when done it get's put back where it belongs, and clean up your mess.
He is 12 now and we havent pulled yet this year. More than likely done with pulling. He wants to go fishing so got a boat that we are rebuilding and start on a different journey.

 

[rharman]

I vaguely recall tearing down a lawn mower engine as a kid. Not sure I put it back together though!

Erector set was a big deal. Had one with an electric mototr so I could build a crane and other fun stuff.

I'd say a lot of it was osmosis. My dad was always a big DIY guy.

Never had kids myself so didn't get to share these experiences.

 

[JABgj]

Taking stuff apart is great. Change/fix a flat on a bicycle. Oil the chain while you are at it. A roll of bell wire, a 6V lantern battery, a light bulb and a switch. Wind a electromagnet and rig up a simple crane for it. Make a light for a camping tent or a cardboard fort. Make a little motor run and reverse it. Share problems to solve. Open up an incan light bulb and look at the parts. Learn how to make holes in different things. Build one of the Lego kits. Bust out the Visible V8 and make those spark plugs light up. Get or make a steam engine or a sterling engine. Work with basic hand tools. Hammers, files, choose the right screwdriver. The list can go as far as your imagination can.

 

[rsanter]

Look at old popular science kids projects for go carts and such
They use a car battery and then a old car starter as the motor.
Some use wood for the frame. One used plywood to make what look like a mini flat fender jeep

 

[JABgj]

My Dad and I did several projects over the years. One that sticks out was when he asked me to rebuild the lawnmower engine on our go kart he built. Screaming 1 HP Briggs with a gear reduction he said was from a washing machine. Drain the oil, pull the shroud, head and carb. Showed me how to pop off the flywheel and let me try and figure out how the cam was held in. No nuts or bolts on the cam, but a sort of hard to see taper pin that ran thru the case. Valves out, lapped them, scraped the carbon off the piston, cleaned the carb and built it back up. I was so excited when we fired it up for the first time.
Things like that stay with people, just have to find what makes the spark and run with it.