For future DIYers, a tool to build skills

DAVID WHITE watches as his son Nathan, 6, hammers a nail into the side of the little wooden pencil box. When the nail starts to go sideways, White takes the hammer and gently straightens it before letting Nathan finish the tap-in.

“Good job!” says White, who then takes the hand of his other son, Jeremy, 3, and helps him hammer nails into a second pencil box.

“The boys really enjoy coming,” says White, whose wife, Stephanie Williams, takes over when the kids are ready to paint their projects. “They like getting the stickers, the pins and the painting.”

“I like the noises,” Nathan chimes in.

“The noises are good too,” adds White, a Calabasas resident.

The sound of hammering and laughter echo across the parking lot where a steady stream of children and parents have come to work on putting together pencil boxes at the August Woodland Hills Home Depot Kids’ Clinic.

The clinics are held from 10 a.m. to noon the first Saturday of every month at all Home Depots, and children make items as diverse as bird feeders and CD holders. The free workshops, and those offered by other retailers, not only shape future generations of handymen and do-it-yourselfers but give families some quality time in an educational environment.

The Woodland Hills store generally attracts 100 or more children, including some who attend year after year, says Marizete Duarte, whose program is part classroom and part party.

“We give the kids a Home Depot apron, a lapel pin for each project, a certificate and stickers,” says Duarte, who keeps attendance and, at the end of the year, throws a graduation party. “We have a cake, holiday presents, and certificates presented by the store manager.”

Duarte says 3- to 10-year-olds may attend the Woodland Hills clinic, but each Home Depot sets its own age requirement for participants. What’s key, she says, is parental involvement.

“This is not a day-care program where parents come to shop and drop their kids off with us,” says Duarte, who keeps watch with store safety coordinator Tim Linehan over the workshop participants. “The purpose of this is to create quality time for parents and their kids. The parents sometimes are more difficult than the kids. It upsets me when I hear a mom say, ‘That’s not the right color’ when the kid wants to paint something one color, and the parent thinks it should be something else.”

To solve the issue, Duarte once offered a mother a project kit of her own, so that the parent could paint a box the color she wanted, and allow the child to have the color he wanted.

“You have to be diplomatic about these things,” Duarte says, smiling.

Similar workshops are offered for children ages 7 to 12 at Lowe’s stores, generally on the second Saturdays of the month, according to Jennifer Wilson, spokeswoman for the North Carolina-based chain.

“We make the projects calendar- and holiday-appropriate,” she says. “For example, for Mother’s Day, they built a planter box and planted a flower for mom in it. We provide the stores with all the materials, and the clinics are free of charge.”

The youngsters receive a Lowe’s apron and a certificate upon completion of their project.

At Ace Hardware stores, which are independently owned and operated, workshop offerings vary by location.

“Some do project workshops on a monthly basis, once a quarter, once a week, or centered around a holiday,” Ace spokeswoman Ann Balosky says.

FOR Cathy McBroom, the Woodland Hills program offers fun and a chance to learn for her daughter Jordyn, 3. Standing under the painting tent, McBroom coaches Jordyn as the little girl selects various colors for her pencil box. Husband Robert tries to keep son Brody, 2, occupied nearby.

“Mama, I have too much!” says Jordyn, holding up a hand with dripping paint.

“That’s OK, honey,” McBroom replies. “Wipe it off on your apron.”

McBroom hands Jordyn a Styrofoam cup filled with yellow paint, letting her paint everything herself.

“This really gets kids to use their imagination,” says McBroom, a Chatsworth resident. “They learn about colors and how to handle tools. Being around other kids is important too.”

As Jordyn paints her pencil box, McBroom quickly moves some items out of harm’s way on the table.

Advises Robert: “Just don’t paint Mom’s cellphone.”

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Clinics for kids

To find a store with a kids’ clinic near you, check the following on the Internet:

* Home Depot: Held the first Saturday of the month. www.homedepot.com

* Lowe’s: Usually held the second Saturday of the month; might vary by location. www.lowes.com

* Ace Hardware: Varies by location. www.acehardware.com