Free Building Workshops for Kids

Calling all mini builders! Local hardware stores host a variety of free family-friendly workshops and craft projects. Kids get to try out using hammers and screwdrivers to build various projects such as greenhouses, trucks, and picture frames. The best part: they get to take these really cool projects home and it’s completely FREE!

Kid’s workshops are designed for age 5-12 and offered on weekends at various stores around the bay. Home Depot and Lowes both offer monthly workshops. Orchard Hardware and Goodman Building Supply in Marin offer kids club projects geared for younger kids although less frequently.

Most workshops require advance registration: online registration opens up about a month in advance and spaces tend to fill up quickly. Some stores do permit walk-ins. On our last visit to Home Depot, walk-ins were allowed, and no one checked registration. The Lowe’s we visited was allowing walks in after 1 pm if kits were still available. Arriving early is your best bet, reservation or not, as these activities are very popular and occasionally supplies run out.

Consider wearing clothes you don’t mind getting a little messy. When you arrive at the store, it’s probably best to inquire at the customer service desk as the project area tends to move around: our last project was in the garden center (but the one before that was in the lumber section). Once checked in, kids pick up a smock and a kit, which includes instructions and all the materials for the project.

Kids get to learn and practice basic building skills like hammering nails, screwing in pieces, and painting as they complete their project. Once completed, kids can collect a badge and certificate. Lowes DIY club offers a chance to earn a free kids tool bag: to participate pick up a badge checklist to keep track of progress.

Home Depot Kids Workshops:

Multiple Bay Area Locations: Emeryville, El Cerrito, Hercules, Oakland, and San Leandro
Register here >

DIY-U Kids’ Workshops by Lowe’s:

Multiple Bay Area Locations: Concord, San Francisco, Vallejo
Register here >

Goodie’s Kid’s Club:

Location: Goodman Building Supply, 775 Redwood Highway, Mill Valley
Register here >