Tips for using Tools with families:
After reading the book, see if you can find any of the tools (only safe ones, such as paint brushes or cloth tape measures, please) mentioned in this book around your home or apartment, and ask the child if she/he can remember what jobs these tools are used for---or let the child point to the pictures of the tools in the book again to see what jobs these tools are used for. If you have measuring spoons, you can play indoors taking turns with your child measuring teaspoons, tablespoons, etc. of water, then pouring them into a bowl. (You could also do this outside with water or sand.) After pouring the “spoonfuls” into a bowl, let your child stir the water (or sand) with a large mixing spoon, pretending to mix batter.
Tips for using Tools with children:
If you have some clean paint brushes and a bucket, let children “play painters” by dipping brushes into a bucket of water and “painting” the sidewalk or steps. If you have a paint roller, someone can paint with that, too. Of course, the water will evaporate----but not right away. (Remember: to children, work seems like fun.)
Take turns in a group, having each person pretend to use a tool. (For example, make a cutting motion with an index and middle finger as if cutting with scissors---or pretend to saw by pretending to grasp the handle of a saw, and draw your arm back and forth as if cutting a piece of wood.) Maybe you can have someone pretend to use a tool, and others can guess what tool that person is pretending to use. Then talk about what kinds of jobs those tools are used for.
At school, teachers could schedule a tool-themed show-and-tell, asking children to bring a tool used by a parent.