As a tyke I remember clamping a hunk of wood into my grandfather’s bench vise and cutting blocks. Later, it was fixing and building bikes in my mom’s garage. The bench vise and broken bikes led to my career as a building contractor, where I make my living using the tools I first picked up as a kid. I believe the lessons learned at the business end of a wrench are confidence, determination and success. That matters to me, because today, I’m the dad. While my boy is an infant–his tool life awaits–my daughter, 7, has already had some practice. She helped me “demolish” our dining room this November to begin its remodel. She whacked the plaster with my hammer, dust fell, a smile widened. Pride was born. All that from a hammer and a little time. Here, I have compiled 10 of the best tools for children to start their journey.
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