Building a Valentine’s Day heart box with my daughter at our local Home Depot Kids Workshop was one of the the easiest, least expensive, stress-free and most rewarding experiences we’ve ever shared.
Having registered online, we arrived at the scheduled time of 10:00am, but the drywall aisle at the back of the store was already buzzing with Home Depot Workshop families. There were about 70 children in total, congregated at tables and on the floorspace with their parents. As we approached, we heard the sound of dozens of little hammers knocking nails into wood. 
Our host welcomed us, and gave my daughter her very own orange apron – to keep! She told my daughter that she could have a special pin to show she had been to the workshop, once she had finished her box. As the morning went on, I noticed lots of children with five or six pins on their aprons. The regulars!
Home Depot supplied everything, including safety goggles, glue, paint, paper plates, paint applicators, instructions – and assistance which was available anytime, but not mandatory. These workshops are Do-it-Yourself.
The instructions were super-easy to follow. Everyone was going at their own pace.
I taught my daughter how to hold a hammer, and how not to use too much glue. She was totally focused on her project. 
She chose her own paint: red, yellow and white stripes! 
We painted together. I helped with the tricky parts. The paint took a little while to dry, so we walked around and looked at other people’s boxes. Like snowflakes, none was identical!
That morning, we bonded, hammered, painted, followed instructions, solved problems, cleaned up our mess – and at the end of it all, had a beautiful wooden box to take home. Best of all, we didn’t spend a dime, since Home Depot Kids Workshops are completely free of charge. Amazing.
Thank you, Home Depot! We can’t wait for the next Workshop.
(Have you ever attended a Home Depot Kids Workshop? Please share your experience!)
