Fix-It Workshop — Find It, Plan It, Fix It
Child identifies something broken, loose, or needing improvement at home, then works with the parent to plan and execute a repair. Builds problem identification, planning, tool use, and persistence through authentic practical work.
Opens a guided voice session in TogetherTime.
What you'll need
Walk around the house with the child to find something safe and age-appropriate that needs repair or improvement. Have a basic toolkit nearby (screwdriver, tape, glue, scissors, etc.).
How it works
- 1~40s
Before any fixing, let's see how well your child can diagnose the problem. Ask: 'What's wrong with this? Why isn't it working properly? What do you think caused it?' Listen carefully—does they just describe the symptom ('it's broken') or dig into the cause ('the screw came loose')? Then ask: 'What do you think we need to do to fix it?' Tell me what your child identifies and what their proposed solution is!
Watch for: practical_problem_diagnosis
- 2~35s
Now ask your child: 'What tools do we need to fix this?' Lay out a few options—a screwdriver, tape, glue, scissors, a cloth—and let them choose. Then ask: 'What should we do first? What's the order of steps?' Watch whether they can plan the repair sequence or wants to dive straight in. Tell me which tools they picked and what plan they described!
Watch for: appropriate_tool_selection
- 3~45s
Time to fix! Let your child take the lead as much as safely possible. Your hands might need to help, but let their hands do the work. Watch for: how does they handle the tools? Does they follow the plan or improvise? What happens when something is harder than expected? Does they persist or want to give up? Tell me how the actual repair goes—the successes AND the struggles!
Watch for: practical_tool_handling
- 4~30s
Final step! Have your child test the repair—does it work? Then ask three reflection questions: 'What was the hardest part?' 'What would you do differently next time?' And—'If you saw something else broken, would you feel confident trying to fix it?' That last question tells us about self-efficacy, which is huge at this age. Share their answers!
Watch for: practical_self_efficacy