Functional Sharp Points Included!
Written: Jan 18 '03 (Updated Jan 18 '03)
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Pros: Great for kids ages 6 and up. Easy/fun one hour project!
Cons: Not enough extra nails. No sand paper.
The Bottom Line: A great/easy birdhouse kit - contains just about everything you need to make a birdhouse - even the functional sharp points.
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| ned1's Full Review: The Home Depot Bird House Kit |
As the den mother to two groups of Boy Scouts - Webelos 1 and Bear Scouts, I have found you quickly run out of ideas and ways to keep the troops entertained. Yes, you did read that correctly NED1 - PTA outcast, neighborhood misfit and all around un-mom - according to the Stepford Wives in my neighborhood is a Den Mother (twice over)!
It's amazing how quickly people who despise you for no valid reason - will come to accept and tolerate you when you volunteer to do a job no one else "has the time for" - like a being a mom to four, attending karate school, having a full time job, plus Epinions gives me lots of "free time".
Note to moms and dads - to avoid this situation - NEVER exit a pack meeting to use the rest room when they are discussing next years leaders - unless you have secured down your children so they can't raise hands or speak and utter that phrase, "My mom would love to do it."
I love my groups - they are comprised of really great and imaginative kids - ones that want to do fun activities and are willing to try to new things. However, I do find that the generation gap comes into play - as a child of the 70s, my idea of fun is often met with a raised eyebrow. Some times they are willing to go with the flow - like dropping a clothespin in a bottle or playing telephone, other times the little sophisticates look at me with that "how lame is this" glare and I know we need to come up with something else.
When we decided to have the Webelos make birdhouses I wasn't sure how well it would go over - after all 9 and 10 years olds could go either way - thinking this was lame or cool. Last year we used these kits with our Tiger Cubs, who are now the Bears. Since that was a parent required to stay and help type of group things went well and the boys had fun - of course mom or dad did most of the hammering - with the older boys, hammers and less parental help it could be disastrous.
The Home Depot Bird House Kit is $9.99 and is distributed at Toys R Us - both times someone else purchased the kits with dues money and brought them to the meeting, so I'm not sure at which store they bought them. They are available at Amazon.com through the Toys R Us website. They say the kit is for ages 8+, which seems about accurate. We used them with 6/7 year olds with intense parental supervision and every boy was able to complete the birdhouse. The 9 yo olds did require assistance - remember tools are used, so it's not like you can toss the box and hammer to a child and say go for it (although I'm sure some parents would).
The kit contains almost everything you need to make the birdhouses - wood, perch, self-tapping screws and 17 functional sharp points (aka finishing nails). Yes, the most comical part of this kit is the fact that they can no longer call a nail a nail. I laughed for days after reading the box and everyone I tell this to rolls their eyes in disgust.
It's seems as if finishing nails have formed their own splinter (oops is that also a derogatory term) group and have decided that being called a nail is no longer cool or politically correct. They want to be addressed as functional sharp points, and I pity the craftsman who doesn't start using the term. I understand what Home Depot was trying to say - this isn't a house you glue together and it has nails, which are sharp and can cause injuries, but for the love of goodness is there anyone out there who doesn't know a nail is sharp, so why not just say nail on the box.
The only things you will need to supply are the hammer, screwdriver and sandpaper. Now, I think a small sheet of sandpaper could have been included with the kit without increasing the price, but who am I to question Home Depot wanting to save a penny per kit. You can also glue the pieces prior to nailing them together, but don't look to the kit for that bottle of wood glue. It isn't a necessary step, but does help to secure the house - although you need to weigh that against boys using glue on your kitchen floor.
The instructions are simple and easy enough for a 9/10 year old to read/understand (since that was part of the requirement - to read and follow directions). Instructions are in French, Spanish and English. There are only 11 steps and the house can be completed in less than an hour (not including priming, painting or sealing). That's another two or three meetings worth of work).
Overall I have nothing bad to say about the Home Depot Bird House Kit. It's a great first woodworking project for kids ages 8 and up, or younger if you choose to closely supervise them. It's great for parents who do not have a home workshop as all pieces are precut and come ready to assemble. The only slight issue I have is that not enough extra functional sharp points are included. I suggest purchasing at least five extra (if not more). We had many banged fingers and bent nails, since this was the first time some of the boys had hammered functional sharp points - and finishing functional sharp points are very easy to bend. Luckily I had some extras on hand.
If you want a fun/easy weekend project to do, grab yourself a Home Depot Bird House Kit, some sandpaper and paint and start building.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 9.99
Type of Toy: Model Kits
Age Range of Child: 9 Years or Older
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ned1
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Member: Nancy
Location: in the Barbie aisle
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About Me:
Off to Basel (1/21) - in search of Swiss Miss Barbie - back (1/26)
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