In the hustle and bustle of today’s world, it can be really difficult to get quality time with your kids. But sharing your woodworking hobby with them is a great way to both teach them new skills and get a few hours with them in the midst of jobs and homework. Check out the 15 woodworking projects below for a little inspiration, and let us know in the comments how you spend time with your kids in the shop.
Wooden Planter Box
This elevated wooden planter box is a great project for a kid looking to make mom a gift for Mother’s Day or her birthday. She’ll love the thoughtfulness and craftsmanship, and your kid will love knowing they gave her a gift they built themselves.
Yard Dice
Yardzee is a great game the whole family can play, and if you make your own yard dice, it’s something the kids can help make too. Whether they’re playing it with friends or family, they’ll love being able to tell people that they made those dice.
Jenga
Yard Jenga is another great outdoor game the kids will love to help make. This project gives them a chance to unleash a little more of their creativity since you get to paint the Jenga pieces at the end.
DIY Camp Chair
Simple, easy, and inexpensive, this camp chair build is a perfect way to introduce your kids to DIY and woodworking projects. Just store them in the shed for summer nights around the fire — the kids will be excited to use the furniture they built every time.
Wooden Stars
Wooden stars are a great piece of décor any time of the year, and they’re also a great way to teach miters and angles. Whether you put them on the wall for the Fourth of July or keep them up year-round, your kid will love seeing their handiwork displayed.
Bath Caddy
Another great gift for mom, this DIY bath caddy is a simple project your kid can finish in a day. She’ll love receiving a handmade gift from one of her children, and later when she wants to use it, she’ll appreciate you giving her an hour to herself.
Mug Tree
If your kid is not really a kid anymore, a mug tree might be the perfect kitchen accessory for their first apartment. Working together on this is a great way to spend time with them if they don’t live at home, and they’ll feel great about having built something for their new place.
Little Free Library
For a kid who’s been working with you in the shop for a little bit, this is a perfect project. It’s more complicated than your most basic project, so they’ll feel challenged without being overwhelmed. Once they finish it and you guys install it, they can be proud that they’ve built a cute Little Free Library, but they’re also helping to promote literacy in the neighborhood!
Mason Bee House
Mason bees are great pollinators that are great for the environment. Building a Mason bee house is an awesome project for kids so they can feel great about helping the environment and great about their own building skills.
Birdhouse
Building a birdhouse is a classic first project! Whether your kid has worked on a few builds already or this is their first woodworking endeavor, this birdhouse design is a simple build that they can finish and hang in a day.
Picture Frame
Helping your kids build their own picture frames is a great way for them to decorate their rooms with their very own handmade décor. It’s also a great way to introduce concepts like mitered corners or help kids learning geometry see how to apply it in a real-life situation.
Kids Workbench
If your kid really gets into building with you, it might be time to make them their own kid's workbench! Not only will this be a fun project to work on together, but it will be a rite of passage too. This way you’ll both have your own space in the shop.
Small Bookshelf
If you’ve got a little bookworm in the house, building this small kid’s bookshelf could be the perfect bonding activity. This is the perfect way to help them learn some important hands-on building skills while they make room for more books in their room.
Star Wars TIE Fighter Bookshelf
For the young padawan in your life, this is a great little bookshelf to build together. They’ll love having a shelf in the shape of the famous TIE Fighter — plus, it will instill a sense of pride knowing that they had a hand in building it.
Circular Rope Swing
Swings provide endless outdoor entertainment in good weather, and helping your kids build a swing can be pretty fun too. These instructions are super easy, and depending on the age and experience of your kid, can be done with minimal supervision.
