Project ideas for a 13yo

[SupressYourself]

Project idea ------ GIRLS

Oh man... talk about a project that's never finished...

 

[db-2]

At age 13. Bought at age 12, had a license. Paid $50. Nothing work on it but spent many hours, time and days working on it when not working on the family farm. Picture of a slide so not the best quality. Times i just sat behind the steering wheel pretending a young lady sitting by my side and cruising main street. Neither happen but still great memories of that cruising. 52 Buick Super, straight 8 hardtop. What more could a 13-year-old want or wish for. 1959 db

 

[db-2]

My first youth bow around 6. Shot many of gopher with that bow. Older brother had one too and together we spent hours in the pasture. Finally bought a fibeglass bow which i still have. db

 

[db-2]

I had 5 kids and could not show or tell about age 12 with my first car. Told all they needed to be older but in time they did find out and well

I did wish a time or many that the hyd lifters would not quit working once the motor got warm. Was to weld them lifters solid but never happen. db
db

 

[Prairie Doggin']

Any woodworking project is good. For me, not having plans is better. Make my kid(s) help me figure it out.My youngest actually comes up with some pretty good work-arounds. Simple projects, no plans - don't be afraid to make pine firewood.

Get a couple bundles of firring strips and have some fun.

 

[Prairie Doggin']

Any woodworking project is good. For me, not having plans is better. Make my kid(s) help me figure it out.My youngest actually comes up with some pretty good work-arounds. Simple projects, no plans - don't be afraid to make pine firewood.

Get a couple bundles of firring strips and have some fun.

That was going to have nice routered hand holes, but after gunning a couple pieces across the shop when router grabbed and tore out a chunk, I decided attaching a couple wooden cupboard handles would be a safer way to keep my son on the project.

 

[Slappy]

Lots of good books out there with drawings for wood-working projects for kids. Shop around and you should be able to find something with items in it he'd be interested in building with you.

Same thing goes with physics and chemistry projects.

And kits for hands on learning of circuits, engineering, mechanical.

How about Boy Scouts? Lego robotics team?

 

[Traxion]

I'm a fan of 3d printers. A computer with some free basic 3d modeling software and it is incredible what can be created. Kids love it usually.

 

[Ericb]

I'd try and find something your both interested in. That way you two can enjoy spending more time together. For my son and I it's working on vehicles. Bought him a truck with a blown motor when he was 15ish. We spent a winter putting in a rebuilt and now he knows that thing inside out. He's probably put more into that truck than I did for the truck and motor, but he love it and will probably use it until it needs another motor.

 

[Davey Crockett]

I'm a generation late but I'll give my 2 cents worth. Having lived on a farm all my life , I have grandkids that are city dwellers and there are so many more options in the city than growing up on the farm. Hopefully you and him can put those computer skills to good use for profit.

Help him dream about nice stuff that he wants to buy and teach him how to make it happen. A few activities and businesses that my grandson does with his Dad as his coach and banker is a 3-d printing business. He and his older sister who does crafts set up at craft shows and he sells his 3-d products. It didn't take him long to find out that it's tough to make ends meet in this business so he bought an $ 800 knife sharpening system and going into the knife sharpening business.

Grandpa chuckles and thinks that business will fail too, but at that age you have to help teach them both ends of business. depending where you live there are so many things to do for activities and sports . Team sports are important so they learn what team work is all about but individual but sports are more important so they learn to pull their load with nobody blame but themselves for second place. Get them involved and interacting with others in real life and they will soon want to do it all so you have to say no to some of that instead of screen time.

 

[Davey Crockett]

I'd try and find something your both interested in. That way you two can enjoy spending more time together. For my son and I it's working on vehicles. Bought him a truck with a blown motor when he was 15ish. We spent a winter putting in a rebuilt and now he knows that thing inside out. He's probably put more into that truck than I did for the truck and motor, but he love it and will probably use it until it needs another motor.

YES. It's your duty as a Dad to get interested in his projects . Anything less than that is a recipe for failure.

 

[Davey Crockett]

Ohh and building slingshot rifles, they are the real deal .

 

[LBrandt]

Lure building or gun refinishing. LB

 

[Kurtr]

Get him a retriever join a club run tests in the summer he will want to hunt with him the fall. Get hooked on that you have something to work on 365.

 

[tigolbitties]

I started rod building during the 2 weeks to flatten the curve and it is a hobby I am still doing. Its something my kids want to start doing, I just need to finish up the builds I have for some buddies and then get them a rod to mess around with. Highly recommend...it can be as basic as rods you see in stores or get super complex doing different weaves and patterns with thread.

 

[1lessdog]

My Dad worked for a Power company and was lead lineman for many yrs. He would bring home meters for us to take a part and have something to do. Beside fishing and slingshots and homemade bows. I built my 1st crossbow that Popular mechanics magazine had the plans to build one. It worked pretty good. I would go to the library a couple times a week to see what else I could build.

 

[Lycanthrope]

seems like a lot of people posting about things that they did, 30 years ago, or would have liked to do, or maybe do now, not necessarily things that would interest a kid today. The 3d printer thing might be worth investigating, good opportunity to do something creative that can be applied to many different interests.

 

[NDSportsman]

Yeah first and foremost is finding something he's interested in doing. Maybe ask him what he might be interested in besides the screen.

 

[shorthairsrus]

seems like a lot of people posting about things that they did, 30 years ago, or would have liked to do, or maybe do now, not necessarily things that would interest a kid today. The 3d printer thing might be worth investigating, good opportunity to do something creative that can be applied to many different interests.

amen brother

Mine i let them do what they wanted. They played sports, they worked, they fished hunted, my daughter was the in person social and my son was headset social on playing computer and playstation games. My daughter still gets a deer permit (i dont hunt with her) and she likes ice fishing. Son lives i the shittties - does outdoor stuff hiking etc but no hunts.

I will say one thing dealing with young workers my two kids were light years beyond what i see when they left high school. They actualliy learned and used word excel pp etc etc on their own more than what the school taught them. They volunteered for projects or non profits and part of that made them grow up and learn quickly plus working mutliple jobs of course helped too. It paid well -- they have been off my payroll since highschool even in college i didnt give em much $. Dealing with young workers now many of them have some basics but no where near where they need to be for all the screen time they spend.

Projects My kid last time he was home we built a nice work computer for me. green and yellow fans yup!!!

 

[7mmMag]

Look at the book "Catch a crayfish, count the stars"

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A hands-on, gloves-off, muddy-boots activity book for young adventurers ages eight and up, offering fun projects and adventures to build lifelong skills and knowledge about the natural world—from the host of MeatEater and author of The MeatEater Guide to Wilderness Skills and Survival

Does climbing a tree, building a bug hotel, spearing a bullfrog, stalking wild animals, and scouting for petrified wood sound more fun than homework or chores? If so, this guide is your perfect companion to endless summer days and rainy fall afternoons alike. Filled with advice, insights, and activities to inspire wonder and excitement about the natural world, Catch a Crayfish, Count the Stars is a curious kid’s treasure trove, filled to the brim with outdoor projects, skills, and adventures complete with illustrations. The book presents a ton of fun and exciting ways to explore the natural world, like

• building an outdoor exploration kit
• identifying constellations and navigating using the sun and stars
• collecting fossils and other geological wonders
• tracking animals and following weather patterns
• making your own compass
• growing your own fruits and vegetables
• building survival shelters and primitive hunting weapons
• fishing, hunting, and foraging for wild foods
• making cool art projects using natural materials

A must-have guide for budding naturalists, scientists, gardeners, anglers, foragers, and hunters, Catch a Crayfish, Count the Stars helps get kids out into nature,imparting lifelong knowledge and skills along the way.