Throughout the winter we have taken our children to Lowe’s home improvement stores for their kid’s Build & Grow clinics.
Lowe’s and Home Depot have workshops for kids to build pre-packaged wood sets. So far at Lowe’s, our boys have built a gingerbread house, pet treat keeper, money bank and a tic-tac toe game.
Usually when we arrive at Lowe’s, we ask where the clinics are being held because every store has
had them in a different spot. Then we sign the boys in, they get a wooden set, apron and goggles (on their first trip) and a kid size hammer to use. The kits come complete with pre-drilled wood, nails and easy to follow instructions. Once the project is complete, the kids hand in their hammer and get a certificate and a patch.
On our first trip, I had to help our 5-year-old almost the entire time. Now he likes to do everything himself, including reviewing the instructions. Both boys have enjoyed the trips. The Build & Grow clinics give them a sense of accomplishment and help build their self confidence.
My only complaint is that we make the projects on the concrete floor, which gets uncomfortable after a while. I wish they had tables set up.
On February 6th, we will be going to Home Depot to build a car display, and on February 27th, we will go to Lowe’s to build a “Lowebot” (robot and car). Lowe’s holds clinics every two weeks and Home Depot has theirs the first Saturday of each month.
Click on the following links for all the details and to sign up for free.
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