Toy chainsaw!

By the way he is going to be 4.

Blimey, does it work?

Sounds horrific!

Well quite - hence my query. It does "work" but the chain is rubber. He seems very keen!

Horrible thought!

I wouldn't buy a toy power tool of any kind for a child. The real ones are so dangerous that if they were tempted to try out Daddy's one because they used a toy one - well, I am not even going to think about it.

Years ago I ran a playgroup for pre-schoolers from two-and-a-half to starting school at 5. One of the most popular items was a "work-bench" (actually an old small school desk with a proper vice screwed onto it. I bought a few real but small tools - a pin hammer, a small pair of pliers, a little saw, some sandpaper, and a bag of large nails - I reckoned the large ones were probably safer than little sharp ones. The father of one of the children had a woodworking business, so he kept us supplied with offcuts of wood.

It was so popular we had to have some rules. No more than two children to be working at any time - we rationed it by having a couple of canvas "carpenter's aprons" which had to be worn by the carpenters, and the wood had to be firmly in the vice. An adult sat beside them to calm down any tendency to run amok. There would usually be a third child hovering nearby ready to grab an apron as soon as it was discarded.

I'd say this was better than plastic versions of tools except for the smallest children - they can hammer real nails into real wood, which is very satisfying and at the same time uses up quite a bit of energy. But you do need to do a bit of organising, and teaching good "work methods" that avoid damaging themselves or the furniture. Maybe keep the tools at Granny's, so that his busy mum doesn't have to supervise?

I can't see anything wrong with it! It's a toy.

you can get a power drill too

I'm sure one of my grandsons had one.

My DGS each have a Bosch workbench (okay, I admit, I bought them for Christmas). No chainsaws, but a plastic drill, hammer, screwdriver, pliers, nuts and bolts, and saw. They're sturdy enough and they get a lot of play out of them, wearing their high vis tabards and hard hats. My DD2 suggested they'd like them after they'd moved house and their little one had been fascinated by all the DIY going on around him. I don't think myself that they'd be tempted to try dad's drill after using theirs, any more than they'd reach for the electric iron, kettle or blender after playing with their toy kitchens. They wouldn't get the chance anyway! The only worrying aspect is how keen they both are to saw off mine and grandad's legs....

My ds1 had a Fisher Price tool thing with a pretend electric drill.

He is now 37 and as far as I know has never inflicted (or been tempted to) any physical harm on anyone with any sort of power tool!
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Which they could do a whole lot quicker with a chainsaw, of course.

Sorry phoenix, that should have followed on from my last post.

Sounds good. My 8year old GS can't wait for his GD to teach him to weld.
I think it's only so he can wear the helmet.

Chain saws are used to cut wood. DH uses his to cut fire wood, keep our hedgerow under control and other agricultural tasks. Why on earth shoudn't a child have a toy version of a power tool a parent uses and learn from the parent about using the tool safely.

maggiemaybe (sounds like my two )