Getting children involved in home projects can be a fun way to share time with your kids and still get the chores done. But how do you combine the two without pulling out your hair keeping kids from getting hurt or just making a mess? These home projects for the family offer kids a good time while also increasing the value of your home. Try a few of these and have some fun!
Painting
Don’t throw in the dropcloth before you even get started! Consider this – fresh paint ranks in the top three most important home improvements for 50% of real estate experts and 32% of interior design experts. Kids of all ages can handle a paintbrush or roller, so painting will make a great family home improvement project. Let kids help choose colors, designs, and even textures for a look that will please the whole family. Put on some old clothes and get rolling with these ideas!
Inside the Home
You go high, they go low. Even if you just want to paint an accent wall or a single room, children as young as preschoolers can help with painting walls. Leave the ladders to adults, but with supervision, little ones can paint the lower half of a wall up to about four feet. Spread plenty of drop-cloths to catch the drips and show them how to use a roller.
Use a stencil. Consider painting a design on a wall using a stencil. It’s a bit more challenging than rolling on a single color, but it will help teach small children gross motor skills and control while practicing their creativity. Help them by showing them the right amount of paint to put on the roller or dauber, and remind them to press lightly for the best results.
Paint stripes. Elementary-age kids can practice staying in the lines by painting stripes on walls. Using painter’s tape, show kids how to stop at the tape to create a crisp line. For older kids, you could even throw in some math practice by letting them mark the width of stripes with the tape.
Paint the floor. Don’t stop at the walls. If you have concrete floors or outdated linoleum tiles, consider giving your floors a new look with a solid color or either of the techniques above.
Outside
Update the garage door. Garage doors get nasty after years of weather and use. Kids can give them new life with a coat of paint just like inside the house. Older kids who are able to climb a couple of feet on a ladder can create faux windows on the top row of squares by taping off a frame and painting the rest of the squares a darker color.
Add flair to outdoor buildings. Got a shed out back that’s seen better days? Round up the kids and paint it to match the house. Even better, let tweens and teens practice their creativity and paint a scene on one wall to add flair to your outdoor living space.
Paint the fence. While you’re outside, why not have a fence-painting party? Have kids grab a brush and paint that picket fence white again, or update privacy fences with a color that matches or compliments your home.
Gardening and Landscaping
You want your property to look nice, but the kids just want somewhere to play or hang out. If you’re trying to find ways to get everyone out of the house, these projects will give you the go-ahead to tell everyone to “get out.” Kids like to get their hands dirty, and there’s no better way to do that than with gardening and landscaping. Plus, landscaping can raise your property value by as much as 12%. Get outside and dig into these projects for more family fun!
Plant a window box. Window boxes are a great way to add beauty to the exterior of your home, especially if you don’t have space for other types of gardens. Introduce toddlers to gardening by letting them sprinkle seeds in a window box. Older children can fill window boxes with dirt and place sprouted plants in the soil.
Design a container garden. Container gardening allows you to utilize small spaces for maximum impact. Engage children’s creativity by letting them choose containers and arranging them in your outdoor space. Kids can then fill the containers with soil and plant seedlings, or transplant plants of all sizes.
Plant a flower or vegetable garden. If you have space, dedicate a portion of your yard to a full garden. Tweens and teens can help break up the soil, build raised beds and even help construct a greenhouse.
Update or add backyard furniture. Updating your outdoor furniture can be as easy as letting your kids choose new pillows and cushions or as challenging as building new furniture. With just a few 2x4s and repurposed lumber, teens can build a backyard daybed or additional bench seating so guests can get comfy when they come to your next outdoor gathering.
Put up a privacy fence. Privacy comes at a premium, especially for your teens, but you can put their love of privacy to good use by building a chic, industrial privacy fence. This project will give your backyard that coffee house look while also giving your teens a sense of accomplishment.
Letting kids in on the fun isn’t so difficult, after all!