Kids Automata Making Course

Welcome to my exciting "Automata Making Workshop” for kids!

Hi, my name is Stef and I run “Automata (wooden mechanical toys) making courses” for adults here on Yuup. In the past years I have been asked several times if children could attend my courses, since automata-making could be a great way of improving their creativity, developing their practical skills and applying some of the concepts (maths and geometry especially) they may have already learned at school to a fun project.

What to expect:

• One-to-one workshop (maximum 2 children aged 7 and up, with one supervising adult)
• Choice of 4 mechanical toy projects (pre-selected)
• Preparation of major parts in advance
• Guidance and supervision for remaining parts using non-dangerous hand tools
• Painting and assembly of the toy
• A fully functioning mechanical toy to take home

In this one-to-one (maximum 2 children aged 7 and up, with one supervising adult from the same family), half-day course, your kid will work on a previously selected mechanical toy project (I’ll send you 4 models to choose from). All the major parts will have been prepared in advance; the child, based on clear instructions (and my constant supervision and coaching), will have to prepare few remaining parts (using non dangerous hand tools) and then she/he will paint the toy and assemble/ glue all the different parts and mechanism.

The final result will be a fully functioning mechanical toy to take home, to be cherished for years and which will fill the participant with a sense of pride and accomplishment!

The course is designed to be completed in 4 hours, in the morning (9am to 1pm) or in the afternoon (1pm to 5 pm). These timings are however flexible and can be adapted to your needs. Please contact me if you want to book two slots, as a group discount is available (£180 for 2 participants).

Please note:

Unfortunately, due to the potentially dangerous use of power tools, such as sanders, bandsaw and pillar drill, the making from scratch of a mechanical toy is not feasible for young children. Also, an entire day at the workshop (normally 8+ hours) can become too long for kids.