Pass These Home Care Projects to Your Kids
Children are born helpers. If there is housework involved, chances are good that they are willing to step in and help. We have a guide for kids’ household chores , but they also love to help out on individual DIY home improvement projects. Here are some kid-friendly home care projects that you can pass on to your kids with minimal supervision.
Assign them your Home Security Chief.
Kids can help with a few key safety checks that are important but also simple. Children who are old enough to read can check the tags on your fire extinguisher to make sure it is charged and up to date. They can also help check and replace batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Plus, if you have food and water emergency preparedness kits, kids can help check expiration dates and make sure the batteries are in stock and fully charged. They can also help with counting candles and other supplies.
Let them fix the creaks and squeaks
Give the children a piece of beeswax and show them how to rub a little into a squeaky loop or floorboard. Then let them search for squeaks throughout the house. It’s a simple yet surprisingly fun task for kids, and the use of beeswax means it’s completely safe and non-toxic for all ages. They can also do the same for a shovel, grout, and other kid-safe garden equipment to protect and lubricate tools (although closer supervision is a good idea for these tools).
Ask them to help hang art or decor
Kids love things that glow and make noise (just like adults), so what better than looking for carnations in the wall to hang a painting? Choose your search engine and make it work to find these carnations. Although young children cannot pound with a hammer, older children can help with this part too. You can also ask the children to clean and prepare the wall and help set up a temporary hook if you don’t want to punch holes in the wall.
Let them lubricate the locks and handles.
These days, pencil leads are usually made from graphite, and it turns out that graphite is an excellent lubricant for metal surfaces. So, give your child a pencil, ask him to rub the keys to your locks, and then turn the locks with the keys several times. This is a fun and kid-safe way to prevent hair from sticking. You can also try this trick with metal latches and handles if they are sticky. Just rub some pencil lead into the latch and turn the pen a few times.
Challenge them to find burned out light bulbs
Have the children walk outside and inside the house and check to see if the light bulbs are working. They can flip every switch and activate every motion sensor. If they are old enough, they can help you change light bulbs, but young children should stay away from open electrical outlets. Ask them to list the lights you are replacing and dates for future use.