Kids these days

I have just been invited to do a little woodworking demonstration for a group of kids at the local YMCA here in Nashville. I’m psyched, but I’m also nervous. The kids will range in age from 6 to 12. There will be 10 or so kids present. I’ll have about 30 to 45 minutes with them. Yikes! What can I show them? How can I avoid boring them to tears?

I’m thinking through several ideas with the current favorite being showing the kids how I cut dovetails. Then I would give them a couple of small pieces of wood with dovetails already cut in them to take home. Another idea I have is to show them some simple planing. I would love to be able to let each kid have a try at planing, but I’m not sure if the Y would be very happy about that.

Anyway, I’m still thinking through my options and I’d love to hear from anyone who’s had a chance to demonstrate woodworking to kids. I’m taking this very seriously (too seriously?), because I want what might be these kids’ first exposure to woodworking to be at least positive and at most something that might spark an interest in doing it themselves someday. I’ll write again about what I decide to do and how it goes over.