The Ryan Fields-Spack Blog

Being a Dad today is Tough! You are in the right place. This is your go to spot for dads to do more, make more, and win the day.

Why Building Stuff With Your Kids Might Be the Most Important Thing You Do This Summer

benefits of projects with children bonding with kids through projects building confidence in kids dad and son workshop projects father son building projects father son diy projects fatherhood building projects hands-on projects for dads and sons real life skills for kids summer projects with kids teaching kids through building why dads should build with kids Jul 23, 2026

My son Bromley (and his brother Ken) have been crushing it with their lemonade stand. Then one day they decided they wanted to level up.

They wanted to start mowing lawns around the neighborhood.

Great idea… except for one problem. How do you haul a lawn mower around on a bike?

So we did what dads and sons have been doing for generations. We built something.

We went to Home Depot, grabbed some metal piping, U-bolts, particle board, and a $19 hitch off Amazon. We scavenged an old wheel set that already had a brake. Then we spent a solid chunk of a weekend measuring, cutting, bending pipe, drilling, testing, failing a little, and figuring it out together.

By the end of it, Bromley had a real working trailer he could load by himself, lock down, and ride around the neighborhood to mow lawns.

It was one of the coolest things we’ve ever built as a family.

But here’s the bigger truth I want every dad reading this to hear:

The trailer isn’t the point. The project is.

Why Doing Projects With Your Kids Actually Matters

Research keeps showing the same thing: kids with involved fathers do better across the board — emotionally, socially, academically, and even physiologically later in life. Shared productive activities (building, fixing, creating) are some of the highest-leverage ways a dad can invest in his kids.

When you build something with your child, you’re doing way more than making a trailer (or a birdhouse, or a bookshelf, or a go-kart). You’re teaching them:

How to solve real problems
How to stick with something when it’s hard
How to use tools safely
How to measure twice and cut once
How to take pride in work that has their name on it

You’re also creating a shared memory that says: “Dad and I build things. We figure stuff out. We’re a team.”

That identity sticks.

7 Actionable Tips for Dads Who Want to Start Building With Their Kids

1. Start with a real problem they care about Don’t invent a random project. Look for something your kid actually wants or needs. Bromley wanted to mow lawns. The trailer solved a real bottleneck in his business. Ownership skyrockets when the project matters to them.

2. Let them help plan and measure from the beginning Don’t just hand them a cut list. Sit down with a pencil and paper (or a napkin) and figure it out together. Measuring, estimating, and sketching are some of the best engineering lessons a kid can get.

3. Teach safety like it’s non-negotiable We spent real time talking about kickback on the table saw, why eye protection matters, and how the SawStop works. Safety isn’t a side note — it’s one of the most valuable things you can pass on.

4. Let them struggle before you jump in When the pipe bender wasn’t cooperating or something didn’t fit, I tried hard not to immediately take over. The learning lives in the struggle. Step in when needed, but give them space to problem-solve first.

5. Celebrate the process, not just the finished product Praise the measuring. Praise the careful cutting. Praise the “wait, what if we try it this way?” moments. The finished trailer is great, but the confidence comes from the process.

6. Connect the project to something bigger We didn’t just build a trailer. We built a tool that lets Bromley earn his own money and run a real neighborhood business. When kids see that their work creates value in the world, something shifts.

7. Make “build time” a regular thing Don’t wait for the perfect weekend or the perfect project. Put “build with the kids” on the calendar a few times a year. It doesn’t have to be big. A birdhouse, a simple shelf, fixing a bike — consistency compounds.

Check out the Whole Process HERE👇🏻

Those little stressors in life can really add up

There is a quick way to ease that stress and calm your mind. It takes three steps and 10 seconds.

Get Your FREE one Page Guide

When you signup, we'll be sending you weekly emails with additional free content.

The Ryan Fields-Spack Blog

Why Building Stuff With Your Kids Might Be the Most Important Thing You Do This Summer

Why Doing Projects With Your Kids Actually Matters

7 Actionable Tips for Dads Who Want to Start Building With Their Kids

Those little stressors in life can really add up

Join The FREE Challenge