The Wheels on the Bus Go....Somewhere?

Today I finally did something that has been on my list for a good two years now. I took Alyssa and Alex to a Build and Groan, I mean Grow, workshop at Lowe's. I know Home Depot has them too, but I live closer to Lowe's. They got their little aprons and goggles and set off to work. They followed the instructions and did most everything on their own. Alyssa did start off using the back of the hammer, but once I set that right, she was off and running. Alex was a natural, as I suspected. I was surprised that they were actually using real hammers and nails. I guess I expected it to be way more kid proof and basic. They loved getting to really build something.

I was so impressed with how well they were able to follow the blueprints and work independently. I only helped with the first piece, just to get them started and show them how to line up the pieces properly before nailing.

And this is where the groaning comes in. The one piece I started for them was upside down. Alex tried to tell me, but I told him it didn't matter. It was a flat board and it was the same either way. He tried to show me that the instrcutions said to put it the other way. It looked the same both ways to me and I had already lined up the nail holes, so I told him to just nail it in place. Well of course, he was right and I was wrong. My little bitty mistake ran us into all kinds of trouble down the road. The little nitch that Alex noticed, but I didn't, was to allow the axle to go through the bottom of the bus. Putting it upside down meant,...No WHEELS on the bus. We worked around it the best we could and when we could do no more, I stuffed the buses into my bag and we took off. I felt so bad. They had done such a good job, and now they had no projects to show for it. We got home and the kids sent out an SOS to Seth, by screaming into the basement..."Daddy, we told Mommy she was doing it wrong and we need HELP fixing our buses".

Our little craft turned into an all day, all hands on deck, project. Seth cut and reconstructed and we both got to work with the wood glue. After hours of drying, our school buses finally looked the way they were supposed to look, but we definitely added a few extra bus stops on the way to our destination.

Next time I will either

1- Read the instructions more closely

2-Just back off and let the kids do it themselves. Or...

3- I will stay home on Chloe duty and send Seth will go supervise construction.

I did enjoy the experience, in spite of my issues. The craft, aprons, and goggles are all free. They even got the school bus patch for their aprons on the way out, for completeing the project. Good thing they didn't look in my bag and see the two unfinished stow aways, or they may have taken back those patches. Each new project earns them a new badge for their apron. How cute! I love when places have free stuff for kids to do.