DIY Projects Dads Can Do with Kids for Fun Quality Time
1. The first fun project on the list is making a bird house. This is a fun project and the end result is something that can be enjoyed for years to come. When building your bird house you can be as creative as you want to be, and even come up with your own design. You will need the following tools to build your bird house, wood, wood glue, nails, and a saw, pencil, paper, metal hook. Since this is a project for dads and kids, dad should be the one to do all of the cutting of the wood. You can have your child glue and help nail the pieces. To make your bird house, first draw a design for your bird house. Let your child use their imagination and draw the type of bird house they would like. Then once their drawing is done, you can work to gather to make the pieces of wood match the picture your child drew. Keep in mind that this is supposed to be a fun project, so there is no wrong way to do it. Make sure that you leave a hole big enough for the birds to get into, and create a perch so they can just hang out. Don’t paint the bird house; the natural wooden look is perfect.
2. Treasure Boxes are great for kids to make. It also provides them with an additional place to store all of their stuff without having to spend a bunch of money. In order to build your treasure box you will need the following items: A wooden box (you can purchase these at your local home depot or Lowes store), Paint (any color), letter stencils, and (use the letters in your name. Once you have gathered all of your materials you can easily get your treasure box together. First you will need to paint the entire box. You can paint is all one color or alternate. Once the first layer of paint dries you can then use the stencils to paint your child’s initials on the top of the box. This is a fun project that you and your child will enjoy and it allows them to fully participate.
3. Kites– Kites are fun and very easy to make, and then when you are don you can fly them with your child. Kites can be made out of paper or out of plastic. You can even purchase a kite kit from your local arts and crafts store. There you will find kite do it yourself kits that include all of the materials that you need. Or it you want to make it yourself then you can print out the instructions found at www.pbs.org. Follow the instructions and you and your child will have plenty of fun making your kite.
4. Backyard boat- This is another fun project for the whole family to enjoy. You will need the following items to build your backyard board: 6 to 8 cardboard boxes, or large pieces of cardboard, paint, paint brushes, large wooden sticks, two old sheets, and heavy duty tape. Once you have gathered all of your materials you are ready to assemble your pirate ship. The best place to build your boat is outside of course. You will need to lay our all of your cardboard so that it is flat. If you are using boxes they don’t need to be flat you can just simply arrange them into a square and take one side out to open it up. You can make your backyard boat in any shape or design that you want. Use the tap to hold all of the pieces together. Remember to take your time, and let your child be the once to decide how it will go. You can use the sticks to hold the sheet up and creates a sail for your back yard boat. Simply tape the sheet to the top of the stick. Remember this is a fun kid’s project, and it does not have to be perfect. It just has to be fun to create.
5. Dart Board- Making your wooden dart board is another fun family project that can be enjoyed for years. In order to make your dart board you will need the following items: wood glue, ruler, saw, permanent markers, thick piece of wood, 1 Large piece of felt, box of darts with no tip, box of Velcro, hanging wire, regular glue. Once you have all of your items you can then draw you dart board design onto your felt board using the permanent marker. Then you can cut out your dart board design and glue it to the wooden board. Allow the glue to dry and attach the wire on the back of the dart board. You can then make your darts by attaching the Velcro pieces with glue to the tips and then you are done. You can easily change the design any way you want.
6. Tool Chest- To make your tool chest you can purchase a ready made wooden box and then just paint or you can make your tool chest completely from scratch. In order to do this you will need several pieces of wood, a saw, nails, wood glue, and paint. When you have gathered all of your materials you can put your tool chest together. When constructing it make sure that inside the tool chest you include separate compartments for different types of tools. For example you should have a compartment for your hammers, and for your boxes of nails. There is not set design to it, you can use whatever design you want. You can click on the link above to find sample plans for your tool chest that can be used as a guide.
7. Miniature boat- To make your little boat the easiest way is to purchase a bat kit. This kit can be found at your local hobby store, or at your local arts and craft store. Included in these kits is the wood that you need and all of the other materials. This is a good way to teach your child how to follow written directions in create a project. Once this project is complete you can display it. This is a great project for dads to do with their kids. The only additional tools you will need are a hammer, nails and wood glue.
8. Bookcase-To make your book case you will need to purchase several pieces of wood which you can find at your local home deport or craft store. This does not have to be a huge bookcase but can be a simple two shelf book case. The materials that you will need are several pieces of wood, a saw, wood glue, nails, and of course a hammer. Once you have all of your equipment you start by assembling the sides of the shelf. You can click hear to get step by step instructions on how to create your book shelf. This is a fun project that you can do with your child that will also be usable when you are done.
9. Foot Stool- Making a foot stool is also another simple project. You will need the following materials, several pieces of plain regular wood, wood stain, nails, wood, glue, and hammer, saw. When it comes to making the stool, be creative and use your imagination. Making a stool can really be a lot of fun. Click here to find direction on how you and your child can make a nice foot stool that can be enjoyed by any member of the family. Remember that you can use you imagine nation and changes up the look of the stool to whatever you prefer.
10. Make your own water fountain. Making a water fountain for your garden is really a lot of fun to do. You and you child will not only learn how to build, but how to work with wires and other electronic devices. This is a good way to begin to open your child’s mind to different things they may be able to create just by using their hands and their imagination. In order to make your water fountain you can click here for a list of materials need and the step by step process.
