Sarah0000 Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Because I'm tired of putting together the vacuum and fishing marbles out of it because he thinks it would make a good marble run. Any good toys and activity kits with lots of room for creative tinkering? Not something that can only be put together one way like those toddler toys that are just screwing pieces together. He's three but his fine motor ability is advanced. He can handle small pieces but I'd prefer something still pretty safe as far as sharp points or edges. We already have lots of building toys like Legos, marble runs, magformers, etc. Is there something more mechanical? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 How old is this child? I would buy some cheap, old appliances at the Goodwill and let him at those. Obviously, I would not do this with a three year old but I would with an older child. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Can't resist: I don't think if he likes to take apart appliances you should let him near ANY outlets, lol:) You might take a look at Snap circuits. I got my dd her first set at about that age and thought we could do the projects together...but they are pretty straight forward, and the schematics can be followed even by a non-reader. Eventually the kids get to a point where they can invent their own creations, and they are definitely grow-with-the kid toys since you can continue to add sets and components. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDoe Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah0000 Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 I think I'll order Snap Circuits once I figure out the rest of my RR order. Right now he's fiddling with his violin, and by fiddling I don't mean actually playing with it, but inspecting and testing each part, and trying to open up the electronic tuner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Erector junior http://www.erector.us/models/construction.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 I have seen pictures of big construction kids made of pvc pipe and fittings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kubiac Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I absolutely would ask at Goodwill about junky appliances. They might even give some to you that aren't selling. Cut the cords off so he can't plug them in. Write his name on them in Sharpie. He can only dismantle gizmos with his name on them. Give him a screwdriver (maybe a short stubby one so he's less likely to impale himself?) and some pliers and a lightweight hammer. Write his name on those as well. Those are his tools that come out for this work. I know that everyone thinks small children should not be permitted near objects of consequence until they are 8 or 15 or 52, but I firmly believe small children can learn basic safety guidelines like "Point it down" as well as techniques like "Lefty loosey, righty tightie." Radically dangerous? Maybe. But probably not, and it obviously depends on the child, but it might be worth a try. cf: Montessori "work" 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I absolutely would ask at Goodwill about junky appliances. They might even give some to you that aren't selling. Cut the cords off so he can't plug them in. Write his name on them in Sharpie. He can only dismantle gizmos with his name on them. Give him a screwdriver (maybe a short stubby one so he's less likely to impale himself?) and some pliers and a lightweight hammer. Write his name on those as well. Those are his tools that come out for this work. I know that everyone thinks small children should not be permitted near objects of consequence until they are 8 or 15 or 52, but I firmly believe small children can learn basic safety guidelines like "Point it down" as well as techniques like "Lefty loosey, righty tightie." Radically dangerous? Maybe. But probably not, and it obviously depends on the child, but it might be worth a try. cf: Montessori "work" My kid like this could have done the above as a preschooler with some loose supervision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah0000 Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 That might work for him. He's already allowed to use certain real tools so that's not a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherOfBoys Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I think we are going to try this in the summer with old remote control cars and other toys downstairs. Thank you for the idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imagine.more Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I absolutely would ask at Goodwill about junky appliances. They might even give some to you that aren't selling. Cut the cords off so he can't plug them in. Write his name on them in Sharpie. He can only dismantle gizmos with his name on them. Give him a screwdriver (maybe a short stubby one so he's less likely to impale himself?) and some pliers and a lightweight hammer. Write his name on those as well. Those are his tools that come out for this work. I know that everyone thinks small children should not be permitted near objects of consequence until they are 8 or 15 or 52, but I firmly believe small children can learn basic safety guidelines like "Point it down" as well as techniques like "Lefty loosey, righty tightie." Radically dangerous? Maybe. But probably not, and it obviously depends on the child, but it might be worth a try. cf: Montessori "work" This is what I would do as well. Also, my 3rd and 4th grade teachers were great in this area. My 3rd grade teacher had a large box of actual tools (no saws of course) and scrap wood and nails and pulleys and such and we were allowed to build as we liked during free time. She also had a sewing station and we could sew with real needles and scraps of fabric by hand. My 4th grade teacher had a large tupperware bin of circuits and wires, batteries, and light bulbs and switches. I don't know where he got them, probably some education store? But a lot of us played with this frequently during free time after our unit on electricity. I still remember those and at 10 was the only person at home besides my dad who could program a new VCR and hook up the tv and computers when we moved. And I am not particularly technically inclined either but it was great to work hands-on with the circuit boards and practice working vs non-working circuits. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mliss Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 My DS went through an online electronics course and he tells me you have to be very careful with capacitors. Capacitors can store electricity for years, enough to give a person a harmful shock even if the appliance isn't plugged into an outlet. With that in mind I would be very hesitant to give a small child a junk appliance to take apart. Although maybe you could Google which appliances would be more likely to have capacitors - I'm fairly certain TVs and other other entertainment appliances with remote controls would be dangerous. Also, with Snap Circuits it is possible to short circuit the pieces if they are not aligned correctly. When that happens the circuits start to smell like something is burning :ohmy: Part of the reason I decided an electronics class might be a good idea. When DS was small it was very, very difficult to find challenging but not dangerous tinkering toys. One recommendation, if you can find some on eBay or a second hand store, might be Capselas. At four years of age my son was fascinated with his grandma's Capsela set and, with some help from Daddy, could put a lot of the models together. Good luck :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korrale Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 A few decades ago when I was in Preschool (kinder) at 4-5 we had an area outside with hammers, nail, screws, screw drivers and an assortment of things. Fabric, bottle caps, styrofoam, cardboard. The teachers let us loose to make whatever we wanted. I used to love nailing fabric and bottle caps to wooden blocks to make music makers. So I don't see tools being an issue with little ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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