Made With Dad (Book) Review

“From wizard’s wands to Japanese dolls, craft projects to build, make, and do with your kids”

With the summer holidays in full swing, many parents are likely hearing the dulcet tones of their children whining “I’m boooooored!” Sure, it’s tempting to lock them outside or throw them a list of chores, but why not use that time to build relationships (and some great projects) instead? Made With Dad is a book filled with all sorts of things to make and do with your kids, and they’re sure to get imaginations flowing (and mouths talking) as you build and learn together.

Made With Dad is the creation of Chris Branado, creator of dadcando.com. As a veteran dad himself, Chris is familiar with the ways of children. He’s also familiar with how expensive kids can be – just pick up a few junky craft kits in the store and you’ll quickly find out how much parents will pay for a few minutes of creativity with their kids. And so, Made With Dad contains a wide variety of crafts that use mainly items from around your house. You may have to purchase a little glue or spray paint if you don’t normally keep those things on hand, but overall it’s a book about using what you have in different ways. And since much of the items are things you might typically throw away, these projects are a great lesson in reusing and recycling as well.

So what kinds of things can you make with just the junk laying around your house? A lot of things, actually. From using old jeans to bind a book or create a pencil roll, to turning old bottles into dolls and vases, these projects are incredibly creative and unique – and the finished products look fantastic. Who knew you could turn old grocery bags into Homer Simpson’s donut, or old bottle caps into dragon hunter’s goggles? These are projects that are sure to get the imagination flowing in your kids, and they will love the time spent with you to make them. It’s a win-win situation, for sure.

The book is laid out in categories, with the first one being “Easy Projects: to get you started if you’re a newcomer to crafty things. The middle five sections focus on a basic category – Arts and Crafts, Waves and Wheels, Adventure Projects, Final Frontiers, and Happy Holidays. The Final section is “Advanced Models”, where you can try your hand at the more difficult stuff once you’re comfortable with crafting. There are ideas for every type of kids, from experiments for the budding scientist to painting for the young artist. And you don’t have to be a dad to do it either – moms, aunts and uncles, siblings, and friends can all enjoy these well laid out projects that kids will love. And who knows? Once you get those creative juices flowing, you may come up with some great “Made With Dad” projects of your own.