MeganW Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 In another thread, people were posting about giving their kids things to take apart to encourage them to understand how things work in a hands on way. I am NOT giving my kid free rein to take apart my vacuum! What kinds of things do you give your child to take apart? Do you just give them a screwdriver and let them go at it? Or offer guidance of some sort? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nono Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Here it is with guidance. This week, they are taking apart my bike tire and trying to find out why, in 10 years, I'm going on my 11th tube! :tongue_smilie: I expect them to find the issue and to help my dh remedy it. We have a rule: If it is broken, it doesn't have to be put back together. If it is NOT broken, it should be put back together and in working condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Offhand I can think of: labelmaker printer computer motherboard stand mixer adding machine bike chains I know there is more but the kids work with my dad in his "workshop" and he typically just goes to Goodwill and picks up old stuff or brings things home that are broken from his engineering firm. Together they take them apart and occasionally blow them up Mythbusters-style (my parents live out in the country). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flux Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 I didn't see the other thread and my kids aren't even interested in taking things apart yet, so I probably shouldn't respond...but that never stopped me before. When my brother was younger, my mom used to get old half broken radios at the local thrift store. Or maybe check Freecycle for ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 My youngest demolished a BETA player a few weeks ago. A friend was cleaning out their garage and gave it to him for that express purpose. He's the only one interested in breaking things down and he gets plenty of broken toys/appliances/whatever we come across. He has his own tools (and a table in his room) and he goes at it. He found a magic communicator in BETA player :p as well as plenty of other wonderful things. He does some guided disassembling with dh. They've looked at motors/engines and whatever else dh has laying around or is currently working on at home. I am not a taker-aparter ;) So, the best they can get out of me is a lack of interference :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomatHWTK Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Our house is full of unfinished projects so the kids don't really take anything apart. DH is always working on several things- cars, computers, walls, desks, ... I don't even keep track of what he's trying to fix from week to week. :tongue_smilie: DH is in charge of determining what is safe and what isn't because I am clueless- I'm the non-science person in the house. Computer components sometimes use metals that we don't necessarily want the children touching. Some electronics may still hold a charge. I don't let them dismantle working items. I try to keep them from building tall things with loose bricks on top. (We have a neighbor kid who loves to do this- no common sense whatsoever!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 This reminds me of a full time gifted class I was in as a child. The teacher kept a table in the classroom for this purpose. The things were typically old phones, radios, remote controls, etc. There was no guidance in our classroom. It was just for anyone to work with in their free time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5LittleMonkeys Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 DS is currently working on a 35 mm camera, a cordless phone, a VCR, several keyboards (I caught him using the keys to make words...how cute!), various parts of a computer that dh said were safe, and an old hand vac. I have a printer that is p***ing me off that I keep threatening to give to him...so far it doesn't seem to think I'll actually do it.:glare: Edited to add: I see you were specifically looking for the experience of learning how things work...ds just likes dismantling into as many pieces as he can; no fixing or contemplation on how the pieces work together here...just destruction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirstenH Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Old electronics, mostly. CD players, computers, cell phones. If he can fix/improve them, great. If not, well, no big loss. I should add that DH is an engineer and helps him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 I had a preschool parent who let her kid dismantle McD's toys. You could give your child a carburator from a junkyard. Old, rotary-style phones are fun, and you can make this clock after you take it apart! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 My vacuum. :glare::glare::glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMD Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 I had a preschool parent who let her kid dismantle McD's toys.You could give your child a carburator from a junkyard. Old, rotary-style phones are fun, and you can make this clock after you take it apart! Oh I like that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhaddon Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 My boys started taking apart their own toys around 2 years old and still take things apart... sometimes they don't get put back together :( But they are able to fix their own bikes and fishing poles without my help now! And my oldest took of his brother's training wheels and taught him how to ride without my help. I am going to look at yard sales this year to get them some projects for out in the barn to work on. They have a lot of tools already outside. They are always working on something :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmoe Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Anything that isn't working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecclecticmum Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 pretty much anything broken. Although we did have a very old computer, its specs were awful, so we let the kids take that apart and look at all the circuit boards. So - old phones (including the ones with the wind up numbers), cellphones, Nintendo DS (it broke big time, lol), laptop, Playstation controller, so yeah mostly electronics, and they are always supervised by either me or DH. DS "helps" Daddy with his projects too, so gets to help change the tire, fix the engine, service the car, fix up old stuff for selling (like strollers etc). I usually don't do anything thats in "working condition", only stuff beyond repair. Although they help me with my vaccuums, but one is an ergorapido and its meant to come into many parts, and the same with the Kirby. In cases like that, I also allow them to have stuff like flashlights and magnifying glasses to look at everything more closely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alphabetika Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Find a cheap thrift store near you and buy appliances or anything that would have lots of little bits inside it. I have one kid who looooooved doing this! Actually, she still does.... ;) ETA: Her favorite place to do this was the living room floor, so we developed the habit of putting a big, old sheet under her projects so they could be easily moved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomatHWTK Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 As an added bonus, if you also have an artistic child, she will take the spare parts and make them into sculptures. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 You know one of the summer camps my kids are registered for this year does this. FOr ds8's age grouping they provide old toasters, toaster ovens, radios, vacuums etc and tools and plenty of free time for the boys to dismantle them. If you post on freecycle looking for broken items you can probably come up with a large amount of things to dismantle and examine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my2boysteacher Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 My kids favorite thing to take apart is flashlights. They re-use the light bulb and batteries, adding aluminum foil or wires to make their own circuits. I can't tell you how many flashlights we go through because they keep burning ou the light-bulbs. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kubiac Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Fax machine. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.