1 - His (your 6-year-old) bottom will be time spent with you NOT the kayak you are building. 2 - Whether the end result is a piece of junk or a masterpiece will be of little significance to him 20 years from now. He will only remember the time spent with dad. Remember this throughout the project and go easy on him. 3 - I found (my boy was older when we built a canoe, then 2 kayaks) that it is best to give him a job you know he can do, or that the two of you can do together. Success and satisfaction on his part go a LONG way in building confidence to do bigger and better things. 4 - Much of his desire and will to continue will be contingent on how you treat him when he messes up (he will) and your patience with him (allow him to work at his pace, not yours). 5 - His attention span will be much shorter than yours, allow hin to take a break often. 6 - Do as much together as you can rather than having him do one job while you do another. That way he is more interested and he learns about teamwork. 7 - The time the two of you spend together is worth far more than the boat your are building. Some fathers pay huge sums of money to go to seminars to learn how to 'bond' with their children. you are seeking to do it in a much better way. 8 - He can do more than you think with a little encouragement. 9 - What you build really should not be much of an issue but the S & G is easier than a stripper as far as requiring an extra set of hands more often. For what you are looking for, I would suggest working from plans rather than from a kit. My boy learned more about woodworking from laying out and cutting the panels than he would have if they were already cut out.

> I have really enjoyed reading the input you guys have. I am hoping that
> someone will be able to help with my particular needs.

> I have been looking at building a kayak with my son (6). I am not sure
> that the project is something he can handle. I have done plenty of
> woodwork but more as a hobby than a job. Do you think 6 is too young to
> help build a boat? If not, what would make a good plan considering his
> young age?

> Thanks so much for any help you may give.

> Paul Strange