Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred... Seriously Geeky Stuff To Make With Your Kids" by David Erik Nelson is a great book for parents looking for new ways to interact with their kids.
Or just for folks who are looking for some new projects to make.
When I received the book I was super excited about all the projects that there were to make, they are useful things that you can make with your kids so that they can not only have new toys or games to play with, but they also learn about what goes into making things!
Take the $10 electric guitar, perfect for my cousin Kolt, you'll remember him from this post about him playing guitar for Annabella. This was the perfect project for us to make together and I think I had just as much fun making it with him as I did learning about how a guitar works!
Not only can you make an electric guitar for $10, but it teaches you how to play the guitar that you just made, of course its a bit different from a regular electric guitar (Kolt was sure to point that out) But its amazing to see how all the simple parts of the guitar come together to make music!
These projects are easy, they do require some time and a few tools. Of course usually a trip to the hardware store to get the required elements. But they are almost always cheap and the projects that you can make from the book are fantastic.
Another great project? How about a "dirt cheap amp"? Yes, we do focus on music here in our neck of the woods. Lean how to work with circuits (yep I 'm learning too) If you hit up yard sales (or in our case the basement) for old speakers and switches you can make it for about $2
My favorite project in the book? The "Cheap Mesh Screen Printing" So simple I had everything I needed except for the mesh screen. Which was easy to find. Using the screen and an old embroidery hoop (who doesn't have one of those hanging around?) I was able to create screens and use them over and over to create screen prints that were the same (whoo-hoo summer vendors here I come!) Such a cheap way to make screen prints, personally I like the handmade look that they get over the professional screen prints that are available.
David Erik Nelson has written and amazing book for kids of all ages to do great projects with their parents, older siblings or even grandparents. The projects like the shut-the-box game are sure to provide for hours of learning and fun even after the projects are complete.
So yes I absolutely recommended this book, its amazing, its fantastic, its creative! Its fun! Its sure to last for years of do it yourselfing.
Get your own copy Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred: Seriously Geeky Stuff to Make with Your Kids
