Any tips on household projects my family can work on together?

Mr. Handyman encourages families to work together on household projects

When kids are home for the holidays, why not get the whole family together to tackle some household projects. Get them some work gloves and a hard hat to make it fun, and they’ll forget about lazing on the couch with their phones.

Allowing the kids to help around the house and yard teaches them home improvement skills, allows them to use their creative ideas and builds their confidence.

There are many projects that can be challenging and fun at the same time. Painting a wall or piece of furniture is a great project for kids because mistakes are easily fixed and kids feel that they’re helping improve the looks of the house.

The dreaded job of cleaning the gutters can be fun for kids if they’re allowed to climb a ladder. With this task, they’ll learn about the importance of ladder safety.

They might like building a bird feeder to welcome our feathered friends and help them make it through the cold winter months. While the idea of building a playhouse sounds daunting, kids will love getting on board for this type of construction. There are kits available to guide you through the steps to complete the project. Of course this is not an activity appropriate for young children, but older ones taking the proper safety precautions will enjoy it. Learning to use a hammer is a basic skill, and there is no better way to learn it than with your parents.

Asking your kids for their ideas and for help with designs gets the process started. Children are creative and imaginative, and they may think of things you hadn’t considered. They can visit websites and look at magazines and books from the library, and then discuss their ideas with you. They learn how to research a project, that their input is valuable and the importance of sharing ideas with others.

Kids can be in charge of tools; younger ones can coordinate them and hand you what you need, and older ones can even use some tools themselves. They can learn to use a level, a tape measure and a screw driver, along with the adage “measure twice, cut once”.

Working on any project teaches patience, including checking for all parts before beginning a project. For

example, if an older child will be helping you put together a bicycle for a younger child’s Christmas present, they learn to be organized and focused, and they develop pride in creating the finished product. Younger helpers will also learn to clean up after a project; they can help rinse out paint brushes, return tools to their proper place and help clean up.

When it comes to DIY home improvement projects, everyone wins when it’s a family affair.

Your local home improvement store will have ideas, instructions, and supplies for whatever projects interest you and your kids.