Rawwwr!

While I love days that I get to be my spontaneous self, I also love "theme" days, and yesterday was one of those. For starters, Leo just loves any Saturday morning when he wakes up and realizes he gets to go to Lowe's for their Build and Grow workshop. Lucky for him, yesterday was one of those days. Twice a month, usually the second and fourth Saturdays, Lowe's has a free workshop for kids from 10:00-11:00 am. The first time we went, I was surprised at how much my children could do and get for free at Lowe's. 

The Lowe's Build and Grow Process:

1. The first step in the process starts weeks before the event. You must go to the Lowe's Build and Grow site, check the dates of the workshops, and register for them as soon as you can. Spots fill up fast. 

2. If you have made sure to register for your workshop, you don't have to worry about getting there right at or before 10:00 am. Technically, the workshop is from 10:00-11:00, but really, the optimal time to arrive is around 10:45. If you get there at 10:00, think about it. Everybody's getting there at that time. It's hard to find available table space to build on, and the experience isn't as enjoyable. When we get there 45 minutes into it, most of the crazy rush of kids who make a lot of noise (pounding on nails with their hammers) has left. So, there are a few stragglers who are always very pleasant, and you have all the room you need, the attention of the wonderful employees who are always willing to help, and you won't leave with a headache. So, because you have arrived at a time of low stress, you won't have to stand in line to get your apron or your kit, which are both free.

3. And, at this point, you can just spread out, (make sure you're near a hammer), take up as much space as you need, and take your time following the instructions and building your free and fabulous product of the day. The kits may range in number of steps and difficulty level from time to time, but they are always fun. 

At our very first Build and Grow workshop, we made Sandy's airplane (from Rise of the Guardians). It was a tough one to start out with, but we got through it, and my son has been hooked ever since. We've made some monster trucks, a fire truck, picture frames, among many other cool kids' things. We've even made birdhouses to give as presents. So, you get to walk out the door at Lowe's without spending any money, but your children leave with their very own apron and something that they actually made. What's better than that?

4. The most exciting thing about the whole workshop, at least for my son anyway, is that you're given a certificate and an iron-on badge after you complete the project. Leo, well, he's a collector, so his goal is to fill his apron up with badges. He has collected several, I think 14 to be exact, and he is well on his way. That's a lot of excitement for a seven year old.

My all-time favorite Build and Grow workshops are the ones that feature movies that are out in the theaters. Some mothers don't like that, and I totally understand their reasons. I, however, see it as a way to build excitement about movies that my kids already want to see...Monsters University, for example. After spending about 45 minutes at Lowe's building the perfect MU storage chest (which can actually be used) and decorating it with stickers, the kids and I headed out to the movie theater and watched the movie. 

In my opinion, and the kids' too, it was the best Pixar movie yet...in spite of the fact that the two little ones ran around the rest of the day trying to see who had the scarier "rawwwr"!