← The Builder
The Builder · № 06

First Working Tool

Made a tool, device, or gadget that performs a useful function, something that didn't exist before you built it.

The idea

A tool exists to make a future task easier. Have your kid name the annoying task first, then build the tool. Kids who build a tool without a job in mind end up with a sculpture they're proud of and a drawer they never open. The test of a real tool is whether the kid reaches for it next time the problem shows up. If not, it was a craft project.

Steps
  1. Name the annoying task this tool solves. Write it down.
  2. Sketch the simplest version. The first prototype is usually wrong.
  3. Build it. Use it. Modify based on what didn't work.
  4. Use it three more times for the original task.
What counts

A tool your kid built that performs a useful function and gets used. A demo or a photo of it in use is plenty.