As a kid, I was obsessed with the small hobby shop in the mall near my neighborhood. I always found something to beg for, whether it was a new addition to my electric train set or a new art kit (I used to think I was the world’s most talented 8-year-old oil pastel artist). Wood craft kits were among my other favorite items—I once made a lopsided birdhouse and a collection of truly heinous wood plaques with my family members’ names carved into them.
As a former aspiring wood crafter, I’m drawn to the Red Toolbox line from Reeves International. The line features real tools that have been designed to fit in children’s small hands. The tools have the same functionality and quality of adult tools found at any hardware store, but they include easy-to-grip handles for children.
The Red Toolbox line features construction kits that kids can use to build quality toys and keepsakes (unlike my ugly wood plaques of yesteryear). The kits are arranged by levels of increasing challenge—Red Toolbox Junior is for children ages 4 and up and Levels 1 through 3 are for children ages 8 and up. Each level project increases in difficulty, complexity, and the level of precision required, while the child’s hand-eye coordination and physical abilities grow and improve. Kits include the Red Toolbox Mini Basketball (Junior), the Red Toolbox Plant Pot Holder (Level 1), the Red Toolbox Billiard Table (Level 2), and the Red Toolbox Soccer Table (Level 3).
The line also includes a number of tool sets, paint sets, and other accessories to get kids started on their carpentry journey. If only I were 8 again.
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