5 Garage Tips to Rock Your Family

In a couple of weeks, my son will be rolling into our driveway with a big U-Haul full of stuff. His plan is to leave it all in my garage while he spends a few years living in Central Asia. Of course, I’m going to let him, but the family garage can be a much more interesting venue than just a repository for junk. It turns out there is a lot of potential.

Have you ever wished your teen would show some initiative? Maybe you’d like to see more spontaneous play from your ten-year-old? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to witness your kids taking an interest in the garden or your tools (not the good ones)? Do you want your child to think future career? Read Shaping Your Future Worker. Maybe all it takes is setting up your garage more purposefully to see a positive change.

There’s a lot that can be done to make the garage a utilitarian learning environment for both learning and play.

There’s a lot that can be done to make the garage a utilitarian learning environment for both learning and play. Don’t confuse this post with over-the-top productions such as DIY Network’s Garage Mahal, but just a little bit of organizing can free up enough space for a variety of creative projects that will have your family more thoroughly engaged both in productivity and fun. You can accomplish it easy by following these 5 garage tips.

1. Summer Play Space:

Ping pong table, cornhole, dartboard, or four-square court. The summer sun can be relentless, but there’s no need to be stuck inside chained to electronic devices when a shaded garage with play space is available.

2. Kid-Friendly Workbench:

The garage can become dad’s tutorial zone. Why not design a workbench dedicated to teaching the basics of hand tool carpentry? Keep the power tools at dad’s bench, then make the garage a place for learning, for special time with dad and for productivity.

3. Art Zone and Gallery:

Let’s be honest; there is only so much art that can fit – that you want – on the kitchen refrigerator. Interior decor can only tolerate so much in the way of three-dimensional school projects. Consider setting aside one garage wall for display shelving and a dedicated corkboard for pinning pictures. Pair the idea with a big “project table” and make the garage art central for family fun and exhibits.

4. Summer Potting Shed:

We’d all like to get the kids more hands-on in the garden. Summer is a good time, but it can be dangerously hot. Transform the front of the garage into a summer potting shed. Tables, basins, bags of potting soil, and small tools. With the door open, there’s enough light for growth and enough shade to work. Teach the kids potting basics and get them hooked.

5. “Keeping the Kids Out of Trouble” Zone:

Kids at loose ends often get into mischief. The garage can be your friend here. Organize workspaces to provide ready accessibility when some hard work is just what your child needs. Suggestions: “Take all the gardening tools outside and clean them off.” Or, “I’d like you to take out your dad’s golf clubs and shine them up.” Or, “You’ve got nothing to do for an hour, please wash the downstairs windows; everything is right where you need it.”