Home Depot Kids Workshop :: CityMoms Report
Hand us a hammer, we're going in. {This was the sentiment of our CityMoms last Saturday at the Home Depot Kids Workshop.}While the Lowe's Build and Grow program recently ended its reign, Home Depot is still hammering away at offering family fun, so we sent in some families to investigate. These are FREE, do-it-yourself workshops held at select locations. In this CityMoms Report, member Amy details why the Home Depot Kids Workshop is a put-this-on-your-list activity for your budding architect, construction guru or run-of-the-mill noisemaker. Take it away Amy...My girls love all sorts of messy crafts – and I have to be honest and say it’s something I really struggle with. It isn’t even the mess that bothers me, I want them to do it the right way. My way. I know I make far too many suggestions and can’t really leave them to explore on their own... Ok, so the mess bothers me a little bit. Just a little bit.But the idea of making the mess somewhere else? Heck yes! When I saw theCityMoms Meetup at Home Depot for their Monthly Kids Workshop I was all in.
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So up we get on a Saturday morning {my kids are NOT morning people} and go to build a birdhouse.We arrived a little earlier than the start time of 9am and headed to the back of the store where the noise of hammering led us: Several families had already started the activity, so we headed to the Home Depot staff for instructions. We received a clear bag and pointed in the direction of the biggest table I have ever seen {like, a seats-50-kids table!} which was set up with hammers and screw drivers. The Workshop packet included all the necessary parts and an instruction sheet - it was time. We set to work.
The instruction sheet was pretty easy to decipher and contained pictures to help walk us through the steps. We did need to read the instructions - my 1st grader needed some help with this. We read, hammered, screwed, twisted, corrected our mistakes and hammered again. And 25 noisy, manic minutes later we had assembled a birdhouse!
Another 20 minutes later, our crew of CityKids had put the finishing paint touches on our birdhouses - our hard work was rewarded with cookies and lemonade. That lead to these smiles:
After having done my first Home Depot Kids Workshop here are my tips for your family's visit:
Arrive early! By 9:15am the tables were full, people were waiting for space and by 10am all the kits were gone and families were being turned away {including some disappointed CityKids}. This is despite the Workshop being advertised as 9-12pm.
Expect mess. We had put our coats at our feet at the table and all of them had to be washed – my little ladies had dripped paint all over them.
Know the kids will need assistance for some parts. It meant that my two girls had to take turns with the hammer, waiting for me to be free to hold their pieces of wood in the right place while they tapped in the nails.
Take a tray or something similar to get the finished item home with you. Small disposable plates were provided but with the movement of the car our wet, painted birdhouses fell over and left paint marks on our trunk carpet (shhhh, don’t tell my husband!)
Relax and HAVE FUN! You’ll bring away a fun keepsake and more importantly equally as fun memories.
MORE INFORMATION: The Home Depot Kids Workshops are held at local Home Depot Stores. Dates and times vary by location so check their website for details on an upcoming workshop near you. The cost is free to participate while supplies last.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Amy Waldron is the Chief Finance Officer of theCityMoms. She boasts a budding love for photography when she’s not balancing the books for tCM or hanging with her family. A mom of 2 wonderful girls, Amy is still fairly new to the USA and loves reading, exploring the local culture and meeting new mommas.
