What projects have done with your grandsons?

[Carl1971MGB]

I have 2 grandsons (both under 2 years old) and since I'm spending a week's vacation in the garage (ground up restoration of a 1971 MGB) I've been thinking about working with them. What projects have you done with your grandsons (or granddaughters)?

I have 5 adult children so I'm expecting more grandchildren.
I have a 30 by 50 garage, along my my '71 MGB my son and I have a 1964 F100 and a 1970 C10.

 

[albaran]

I cannibilized a Powerwheels Barbie Jeep to make the components for a half scale Bugeye Sprite for my grandson. The problem is he is growing out of it faster than I have time to finish it. He is six but there is a two year old grandson coming up right behind him. The fiberglass Bugeye is one of two in existance that I know of.

 

[littlebritishcar]

I think it is great that you are planning this and I think they will enjoy the MGB. I did a lot of stuff with my grandpa but the memory of him and I rebuilding my Vespa when I was a teenager is one of my most cherished memories. Well, that and him letting me take a nip of moonshine that his brother made back in Tennessee (although I don't recommend that one!)

 

[dreamingmuscle]

Their two. I don't think you'll get much sanding out of them. lol

Set up a hot wheel race car track. One with a drop they can reach. Make some wooden blocks stack em up and let them knock them down.

Or go down to one of the big box stores. Home depot, Lowes, hobby lobby and pick up some of their wooden craft projects for kids. Then let them finger paint on them.

Side walk chalk is all ways a crowd pleaser.

build a fort or swing set.

Glen

 

[coolguy]

My grandson and I built him a 38 Chevy "Bobber" truck.Best part was we used his check book!!!!!! He is 24 years old.

 

[Jack Olsen]

Two is pretty young. My almost-two daughter likes to put screws in holes, but that's about it. If she sticks with it for 15 minutes, it's a lot.

By three or four they'll be ready for simple projects. This dinosaur is made out of a short length of 2x4. I pre-cut and sanded a bunch of these for a group of four-year-olds and they were able to assemble them with four screws and a little fitting.

https://sphotos-a.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/537133_10200954641812608_661512297_n.jpg

Here's the way it's made:

http://www.finewoodworking.com/FWNPDFfree/011130379_t-rex.pdf

 

[jaysberman]

I have had my grandsons, now 18 and 21 helping me for a long time.
One of them has become a gear head and is a joy to be working with him on the street rods.

 

[gsport]

here's my grandson just starting out in the shop..

 

[Higgins]

Jack,

Our Grand Kids are 2 & 4 and we watch them several times of the week!

Last fall, I brought 2 5 gal buckets into the house that had 4 - 8" trim samples i've had in the garage for yrs, and was starting to use them as firewood! Well, the kids found them and had a blast with them, stacking them and using colored markers on them to this day. Who would have known. They are still using them to this day!! - LOL!

As a foot note, if the garage is open and clean, the younger one gets under the jeep and wants to work on it! What a hoot!!!!
AL

 

[LuvAZ]

All good suggestions so far.

My grandson is 6 and we have made several wooden dinosaurs (he's REALLY into dinos). The kits are pre-cut & have 50 to 100 pieces. They're under $2 at Harbor Freight.

As mentioned, a $1 tub of sidewalk chalk goes a looong way, too!

When my kids were about that age, we'd spend an hour or so at Home Depot on Saturday mornings. They offer free projects for kids, usually one Sat./month.
It's all free, & the kids get their own kid-size orange apron (to keep) & make some sort of small take-home project.

HTH,
Will

 

[theoldwizard1]

Okay, granddaughters. They filled the seed start cups and planted the seeds. They also watered them until I transplanted them.

 

[superfish]

Not really a project but, I'm teaching my 9 year old grandson to shoot. When he comes over we generally run through a box or two of 22LR in the back yard. He's a good shot, it just comes natural to him.

 

[Gary S]

My Grandsons are not old enough yet to do projects with them. But, when the time comes, I probably won't be needed. Both my Sons know so much more than I ever did, so they can teach the boys all they need to know.
Maybe Grandpa can be there for the easy stuff like story telling about the "old days".

 

[Outlander]

Never knew my grandparents, so I am planning big things for my grandchildren. Already told my kids (we have 4 adult children) they would lose their kids on weekends for the cottage!

Heaven forbid if one of the grandchildren is a girl. I feel myself being wrapped around a finger already.

Way to go granddads! Nice projects in the pictures you are sharing.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Never knew my grandparents, ...

Same here. Plus, my parents and my wife's parents (i.e. my kids grandparents) were either working or lived to far away to be involved with my kids lives.

My wife, more so than I, are both involved with our 4 grandchildren and have another on the way by the end of the year. Watching 4 year olds laugh and play should be bottled and sold ! It is priceless.

 

[John in OH]

The key is to dream up projects that are within their capability and, as Jack Olsen points out, don't require long periods of concentration. Or, projects that can be broken up into manageable size steps. Also, try to make the projects something that THEY will enjoy doing, not necessarily something that YOU enjoy doing. And don't limit the workshop time to the grandsons ... the granddaughters can get into the work just as enthusiastically.

Each time our granddaughters come to visit we try to have a shop project for them to work on. The following pics are from Thanksgiving two years ago when the girls were 3 and 5.