Kids' help tips for the shop

[RV's Wallbangers]

I just ordered the tail kit for an RV-10 (actually ordered it at Oshkosh at the Van's tent which was pretty exciting). It will arrive in a few weeks so I have a little time to think on this one. I have an 8 and 11-year old who are also excited we are going to build an airplane. They are typical kids: excited to help but attention spans and coordination skills require supervision. Does anyone have tips or tricks to make the kids useful without me having to supervise them closely? I will teach them things (such as dimpling and squeezing rivets and all the good stuff) but I would also like to be able to work simultaneously with them. Has anyone figured out what works best with kids this age? What they can do with minimal supervision?

Thanks,
Paul

P.S. These are the two reasons my user name is RV's Wallbangers (I am also a lifetime Brewer's fan).

[N5916R]

Get several practice kits. Van's has airfoil and toolbox kits. My son and I did a couple of toolboxes and I did a couple of airfoil kits. Cleveland Tools has some neat practice projects as well, they are iPad/iPhone holders. We built some of those. All of the above was in conjunction with buying and watching the EAA sheet metal tools video available online. I almost forgot to get them involved in the inventory process as well. We did a physical inventory of the kits when they arrived as well as putting various rivets and parts into an organizer, including writing out labels. Get them involved in plan reading as well. If they are better at it than you, what an additional resource an extra set of eyes are in the process.

[az_gila]

They are old enough to have strong hands - inserting and removing clecoes as needed should keep them busy...

[RV's Wallbangers]

Originally Posted by N5916R

Get several practice kits. Van's has airfoil and toolbox kits. My son and I did a couple of toolboxes and I did a couple of airfoil kits. Cleveland Tools has some neat practice projects as well, they are iPad/iPhone holders. We built some of those. All of the above was in conjunction with buying and watching the EAA sheet metal tools video available online. I almost forgot to get them involved in the inventory process as well. We did a physical inventory of the kits when they arrived as well as putting various rivets and parts into an organizer, including writing out labels. Get them involved in plan reading as well. If they are better at it than you, what an additional resource an extra set of eyes are in the process.

Thanks for the suggestions. My wife and I went to the Sheet Metal 101 class at Oshkosh and then we took the kids to Cleveland Tool's tent and made the iPhone holders. The kids liked squeezing rivets but they didn't last long on the deburring and dimpling. I will absolutely have them help inventory. Thanks.

[RV's Wallbangers]

Originally Posted by az_gila

They are old enough to have strong hands - inserting and removing clecoes as needed should keep them busy...

Thanks Gil. They already did practice with the clecos at Oshkosh so I know they can do it!