Shop class for kids - when the parents have no skills in that subject

[Quarter Note]

My kids love to practice at building things, and want to do more "real" woodworking such as hammering and whittling.  I am a sewer and needleworker, but I have no skills with hammers and nails, and we have only very basic tools around the house.  Is there some curriculum that doesn't depend on having a well-stocked home wood shop that will also teach basic safety skills?  We live in a small town that doesn't have a current makerspace, at least not for woodworking, and I don't know of anyone who would personally instruct my kids in this subject.  Our 4-H is limited to just a few other focus areas.

Many thanks!

Edited August 19, 2019 by Quarter Note
ETA: I forgot to mention that they are 10 and 8.

[PeterPan]

For the whittling, I think we let my ds start with small paring knives, the 2 for $1 kind from dollar tree or whatever, just whittling on sticks. For the wood working projects, have you looked into the Saturday projects at Lowes and Home Depot? They're very nice. How old are the dc?

[Lori D.]

Agreeing with Peter Pan.

You didn't mention ages, but here are a few more possible ideas:

Soap Carving -- for younger kids, this can be a good first step to then moving on to whittling/woodcarving
Complete Starter Guide to Whittling (age 10+) + carving blocks + whittling knife
Easy Woodcarving for Kids (ages 6-12) + cut-resistant gripping gloves
Carving for Kids

Woodshop 101 for Kids
All New Woodworking for Kids

You might also look around for someone in your area who does woodworking who might be willing/able to offer classes to your kids -- internet search for "woodworker in my area", or look around at arts & crafts fairs, ask about who provided the whittled souvenirs at a local shop, etc.

[Lori D.]

PS -- When I was a young teen, my middle school had shop classes: mechanical drawing, woodworking, and metal working, and I had fun taking all 3. In case some of those other skills might be of interest to your DC. One summer, my sister and I had fun embossing and putting together leather wallets from a kit.

 Here are a few more ideas:

Complete a Sketch (gr. K-adult)
Advanced Complete a Sketch (gr. 10-adult)
Practical Drafting (gr. 6-12)

Kits can be a good way to start out -- everything included, a finished product at the end, and YOU don't have to have the experience to guide them through the project:

Learn to Solder Kit (ages 12+) -- this is a great intro kit and comes with a very basic soldering iron, all your supplies, instructions, and a space of the board to practice soldering! DO wear goggles, as when snipping the diodes, the metal wire ends can flip up and hit you in the face
Wood Burning Kit or Woodburning Set
Beginning Whittling Kit
youth leather working kits from Standing Bear's Trading Post, or, Hobby Lobby

Tinker Crate -- a subscription engineering project-based series of kits

Edited August 19, 2019 by Lori D.

[Quarter Note]

Thank you both so much!  I'm sorry I forgot to include their ages.  They are 10 and 8.

@PeterPanI love the idea of the projects at the big box stores.  We live about an hour away from those stores, but sometimes we do go to the city on Saturday mornings, so I will check that out the next time we are in the area.

@Lori D.What wonderful ideas you have given me!  I will look into them.  Yes, a kit is just what we need.  My poor kids are getting so frustrated when they see projects they want to do that depend on help that Mom and Dad can't give them or tools that we don't have.  And thank you especially for the reminder to get cut-resistant gloves.

 

I appreciate your suggestions!

[PeterPan]

I think Lowes or HD also sells the projects as little kits. They're maybe $8, and you'd be buying X2. It may be cheaper to buy some sets than to pay gas. Fwiw, the HD projects are awesome, more interesting, with painting the project after you assemble it, etc. You might even be able to buy them off the HD website, hmm.