Tommy wanted mothers day party. In fact he insisted upon it. Naturally we hesitated. It would require some doing, we reasoned, to entertain a lot of wrestling, fighting, shoving young eight-year-olds.

Tommy, screwing his face in a thoughtful frown, said, "I wish we could build something. All the guys want to saw and pound." That has been the springboard of our own idea. A bright cardinal whistling from the neighbor's feeding tray gave us another thought. A bird-feeding tray wouldn't be way too hard to have an eight-year-old to make where there would be nearly time enough after school per boy to make one. That suited Tommy.

We printed them on pieces of shingle four inches long then one inch wide. About the reverse side in the shingle went the guest's name. Tommy delivered these invitations to his guests morning. Of course, the boys were immediately interested.

Next came getting material for the trays. The wood must be soft enough to become easily handled. Wooden fruit boxes in the neighboring store are just the one thing. The store was glad to get rid of them because it saved hauling them away.

Tommy's Dad collected a sufficient availability of orange crates, narrow-stripped cantaloupe boxes, and sturdy apple boxes. Tommy with his fantastic Daddy took the crates apart and piled it's neatly right into a miniature lumber yard at one end with the basement. From friends we borrowed enough additional saws and hammers to provide for each guest. These were arranged in a neat row on Tom's workbench.

Even though the workbench is really a large one we felt when eight young sprouts hammered and sawed on the one bench it was planning to lead to pounded fingers and ruffled tempers. Therefore we arranged solid wooden apple boxes in the circle around the workbench, thus providing each boy with a destination to work.

When Friday came the boys were right on hand after school. Each boy was presented a boy-size carpenter's apron having a way to obtain shingle nails within the pocket. Each apron is made of sturdy material and concerned eighteen inches long and twelve inches wide. A crosspiece was stitched around the lower 1 / 2 of the apron or higher over the center to form two pockets. Sturdy tape was sewed to the peak for a halter and also the same tape was used for your apron strings. Every boy has seen carpenters wear such aprons, each was delighted to have one of his own.

We showed the boys the feeding tray next door thinking they could love to follow its pattern. We reported these folks were to adopt home their finished trays.

The boys tore through the house as being a thundering herd and down into the basement. In no time at all each boy was choosing from the small lumberyard it's that he planned to work. woodworking plans In a shorter time than it takes to tell, each boy was busy making a tray of their own design.

Near the end with the afternoon we inquired when they needed you'll be able to eat. Initially inside our exposure to boys at parties we had been greeted with "Can't we've got just a little more hours We are really not quite done."

At long last all were ready you can eat. To each one we handed a workman's box lunch. The boys were excited over this new version of a birthday party lunch. Each box contained peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, a can of fruit punch along with a straw, an apple, a bit of birthday cake along with a sucker.

After lunch the trays were brought up for display. Not merely one with the young carpenters had copied the neighbor's tray but each had followed his own design. They were all very clever. One was merely a tray with the edge around it to stop food from falling off. Another was obviously a bird house with a tray porch while one more were built with a broad peaked roof.

On leaving the party each guest was offered a package of bird seed from the dollar store. While the boys were collecting their trays, bird seed and carpenter's aprons to take home, one enthusiastic lad said, "This is the greatest party I am to in several years." Somewhat tousle-head replied, "What d'ya mean--three years--it's essentially the most fun for all time."