What Is It?
Instructables.com is a website devoted to helping you work out how to do just about anything. As a result, it’s a great resource for anyone looking for a project, or two, to do with a child (particularly an older one). If you’re at a loose end, or if you are looking for a project to inspire your child to get interested in a specific subject, then this may well be the place for you. I particularly like (and regularly use) the technology Instructables, but there are ones for crafts, food, and just about everything else you could imagine. These Instructables are written by a community of volunteers, and as a result, some are better written than others, but most are easy enough to follow.
Instructables.com provides helpful instructions on how to do just about anything you could imagine.
Why Is It Useful?
Instructables.com provides detailed instructions on how to do just about anything you could imagine. As a result, it is a great source of ideas for projects to do with your child. While most Instructables are not projects that your child could undertake on their own, they are great things for you to do together, and it is always worth keeping an Instructables project or two up your sleeve for rainy days and other times when your child is bored and looking for something to do. I particularly recommend the technology and science-based projects as these are perfect for introducing your child to these important subjects.
After completing your search (in this case for projects based around the Arduino open source electronics project), you’ll be presented with a number of choices to pick from. Simply scroll through these and pick one that you think you’d like to try.
What Will You Find On The Site?
When you go to the Instructables.com home page, you have the option of either using the search box at the top, or to pick a specific subject area (such as technology). Once you have selected your prefered option, you can start looking for an interesting project to try. For each project, there is a list of things that you need, and then a list of the steps that you need to complete. Some Instructables will also be accompanied by a video or two. The first thing you will need to do is read through all the instructions to ensure that you can follow them. Next, you will need to assemble all the things you need to get started. Once you’ve done this, then all you need to do is work through each step until you have completed the instructions and ended up with your finished product. Most of the time, you’ll find that you need to try each step a few times before you get it right, but this is perfectly normal, and if you explain to your child in advance that this is what will most likely happen, it’s also a great learning experience for them as it will show them not to be afraid of making mistakes when trying to work out how to do things, and how to learn from them (both of which are important life lessons for them to learn and for developing a growth mindset).
This is an example of the type of Instrucatbles.com project that is a fun project to do with your child. In this case, it involves making a robotic hand. You can find this project by clicking here.
About The Author: This post was written by Colin Drysdale, the creator of How To Raise A Happy Genius.
