If you’re looking for something to do with the kids this weekend a fun indoor option is the monthly Home Depot Kids workshop. These events, which take place on the first Saturday of every month at all Home Depot locations, are completely free and designed for children ages 5 – 12.
Our family stumbled upon one of these events by accident on a Saturday morning trip to Home Depot. We saw a group of kids hard at work hammering together wooden bird feeders. To our kids it looked way more interesting than roaming the aisles looking for lawn care items and light-bulbs. So they joined the fun and diligently worked on their projects until they each had a bird feeder to take home. Those bird feeders still proudly hang from trees in our yard, and the kids still get excited every time a bird stops by for a snack.
The Home Depot projects are always different and often seasonal. Over the past few months we’ve built trucks, airplanes, a football toss game, a wooden tic-tac-toe board, a ship and more. Most of them are little wooden kits that come with instructions and all the pieces needed including nails, stickers or other. The store provides any other supplies needed to complete the project such as wood glue or hammers.
During our first workshop visit each kid received a free orange Home Depot apron and a commemorative pin with a picture of that month’s project. The idea is to collect the pins each time to display on the apron. It’s neat and a genius way to keep the children coming back. Each month my girls want to go to Home Depot to do their project and get their new pin. Last time I saw two little boys that had no less than 15 pins each on their aprons. That’s a lot of Saturday mornings spent at Home Depot!
I really like the Home Depot Kids workshops because they build confidence in kids, teach them to work safely with tools and provide a convenient, free family activity. Sometimes they are more crowded than others, but it’s typically hassle free and low key. Very little waiting—the kids get their kits and get to work!
Tomorrow, Jan 4th, the project is a desk calendar, and next month, on Feb 1st, the kids will build a race car.
Home Depot recommends that you pre-register online so they can plan quantities but it’s not necessary (we’ve actually never done it). You can simply sign up when you get there. Also, one time one of our girls was sick and they allowed us to take her home a kit so she could build when she felt better. She was thrilled.
If you go:
Home Depot Kids Workshop
Saturday, January 4th (and the first Saturday of every month)
9am – 12pm at all Home Depot locations
Two locations in the Lake Travis area:
Home Depot Bee Cave
3600 Ranch Road 620 S
Bee Cave, TX 78738
(512)263-0785
Home Depot Four Points
7900 N FM 620
Austin, TX 78726
(512)258-7914
