How to (Safely) Incorporate Kids in Home Renovation Projects

Did you know that more than half of American homes were built before 1980? That likely means that your humble abode could use a facelift. However, before you begin your home renovations, the most important thing is safety. Whether you want to involve your kids or some of your youngest family members, safety should always be paramount.

Once you’ve got the proper precautions in place, you’ll want to have a sit-down conversation (likely not too long, as kids’ attention span can be short) about their hopes for the renovation and what they want to contribute to the project. During this conversation, we suggest giving them a few options as to where and how to help.

After you’ve worked out the logistics of your cosmetic home makeover, you can start implementing the following tips to help make your renovation more engaging and fun for the entire family.

Get Kids Involved in Prep Work

Preparing for your home makeover will support the process and help it run more smoothly for your family and the contractor you’ve hired for the job. Kids are great little helpers when it comes to the tedious prep work of a home improvement project. After all, you’ll need all hands on deck, depending on how extensive the renovation is. Some examples of how to involve children in prep work include:

• Boxing up non-hazardous items
• Priming walls or pre-painted surfaces
• Sweeping up dirt and dust
• Managing the checklist of everything to prep

Just as essential as prep work is the clean-up after a renovation, and your children will likely want to help in that arena also. Don’t shy away from giving them a little bit more responsibility during the clean-up phase of your home makeover; they might surprise you with their efforts.

Allow Kids to Choose Paint Colors (and Actually Paint)

When your home improvement project is on a smaller scale, painting is an area kids love to be involved in. From choosing the paint colors and prepping the walls to stirring the paint and then painting, there are multiple places you can incorporate your children and give them more responsibility.

Let Older Children Help with Demo

Do you stress about your kids constantly getting into things and making a huge mess? In a renovation, give your older children a hammer and let them go to town (in a supervised environment, of course). Allowing your children to help with demolition will make them feel included and give them a way to work off some pent-up energy.

Block Off a Reno-Free Zone

Let’s be honest. While your kids are gung-ho about helping with your home improvements and repairs now, their interest may wane, and some aspects of a renovation are too dangerous for children. So, it’s critical to have a designated space in a reno-free zone where your kids can do the things they enjoy outside of the construction. A few things to include in your reno-free zone can include:

• Noise-canceling headphones
• Coloring books
• Markers and crayons
• Tablet or smart device
• A busy board

This area can be outside in the backyard or in a room that isn’t currently getting a makeover. Wherever this space is located, make sure it’s far enough away from the renovation to create separation. You may even need a bit of a break from the constant dust, dirt, and roaring of power tools yourself.

Let Kids Help Beautify the Exterior

The exterior of your home is just as important as the interior because every part of your home should reflect your personality and style. When you’re considering fun and safe home improvement projects your kids can participate in, think yard beautification. Allowing your children to help with enhancing your garden or flower beds will keep them occupied and teach them vital life skills at the same time.

Moreover, researchers have found that gardening can help kids:

• Learn vocabulary – Have you ever tried to pronounce the scientific names of foliage? If there’s anything that can humble you faster, it’s stumbling over lengthy, unfamiliar words. You and your kids can work on your pronunciation together and learn a thing or two about plant care.
• Discover teamwork – At an early age, kids start learning how to work with others. When you introduce gardening, your children must cooperate with you or a sibling to complete the planting and nurturing phases.
• Improve cognition and focus – A 2004 study found that children exposed to a green space perform better mentally and can focus. Especially during a home makeover, kids need to be focused and alert amid potential construction chaos.

Now that you’re ready to keep your kids occupied during your home renovation project, it’s time to call in the experts to help make the entire process smooth and affordable.