The idea was to plan, prepare and use the tools to make the woodworking project.

We used Home Schooling lessons to help repair the home, and in doing so the children could see in real time how to use the tools, how to plan, safety, and by trial and error how to repair and make things they learned a lot.

One of our most exciting projects was one year for my son Jimmy’s birthday we made him a ride in Thomas The Tank Engine, which Jimmy was fond of at the time. Many nights Tracy,m Rachel, Grace and I spent in the cold garage creating this “trolley/go cart” vehicle that Jimmy could ride in at the schools. He and his sisters would take it to Tainui and Cargill schools where there was a lot of concrete to enjoy riding around.

Some children would love it and some would glare at Jimmy with jealousy, and he didn’t notice thankfully. It was very lifelike and we got the face of Thomas so well that when Jimmy first saw it he thought that it was real and ran to hide behind his mothers legs in fright.

We all pitched in on this project except Jimmy and his mother, but she did buy the paint.
We used old wood lying around and old go-cart trolley wheels, and the plans were roughly drawn on the wood and from there we made it.