Made By Dad Book Review

Made By Dad

***Product was received for free in exchange for an honest review.***

The Snail Soup Can Decoy to keep the candy stash safe. The Customizable “Keep Out” Sign to deter meddlesome siblings and parents. A Bunk Bed Communicator made from cardboard tubes (“Psst! Can you keep the snoring down?”). Clever, whimsical, and kind of genius, here are 67 unique projects that will turn any dad with DIY leanings into a mad scientist hero that his kid(s) will adore.

No screens, no hi-tech gadgetry. Made by Dadcombines the rough-edged, handmade ethos of a Boy Scout manual or The Dangerous Book for Boys with a sly sense of humor that kids love. Scott Bedford, a creative director by day and Webby Award–winning blogger by nights and weekends, wields an X-ACTO knife, magic marker, and prodigious imagination to create endlessly delightful projects for his two sons. He knows that kids like contraptions and gadgets, things that are surprising—a chair that appears to be balanced on eggshells. Things that are complex—a multilevel city, with buildings, tunnels, and roads, built from old boxes around the legs of a table. And especially things with humor—the Snappy Toast Rack, made to resemble a crocodile’s gaping mouth.

The projects are shown in full-color photographs, and the instructions are illustrated in detailed line drawings that exude personality. Some are quick and simple enough to be done in a coffee shop; others are more of an afternoon project— yielding hours and hours of rich, imaginative playtime.

Our Thoughts

My husband is definitely the kind of guy who can make the weirdest things out of the simplest of objects. When I saw this book was up for a review, I jumped on the chance, knowing it would be perfect for my husband.

This book is surprisingly much larger than I thought it would be and much less complicated too! Not only did my husband have a blast using this book, but my kids did too! Each project is easy to read, clearly stated what you'll need, has diagrams and wonderful pictures to go along with it. Makes it much easier for my youngest, who does not read, to look through and pick out a project she wants to do with her father by just looking at the photos.

This book has provided many nights of father-child play. Lots of family fun, especially when we created the Spaghetti & Marshmallow Eiffel Tower! For some reason we always have stale noodles and leftover marshmallows so this was very readily available for us to create! If you're curious to see how THAT turned out, check the book out for yourself right here, it's great fun!

Reviewed by Jackie

***Please note that I received no form of monetary compensation for this post. The opinions expressed in the review are my own and were not influenced in any way.***