Teaching Children to Repair Instead of Replace: The Joy of Fixing Things

There’s a kind of quiet satisfaction when you manage to fix something that’s broken, isn’t there? A wonky toy soldier with a glued-on leg, a jumper with a wobbly patch sewn on by tiny hands, or even a toaster that, against the odds, lives to toast another day. It’s the sort of thing that feels small at the time, but sticks with you. And for kids, well, it can be a real eye-opener.

Why Bother Repairing?

It’s easy these days to just chuck things out. Things are cheaper, faster, and more disposable than they used to be. A cracked plastic toy? Off to the bin. A pair of jeans with a hole in the knee? Into the charity bag, maybe. But what if, instead of throwing it all out, we showed children that broken isn’t the end of the story?

The thing is, kids are naturally curious. They want to know how things work. They’ll take apart a clock without thinking twice (whether you wanted them to or not), just to see what’s inside. And that curiosity, if gently guided, can turn into something really quite lovely. A skill, a mindset, even a bit of a philosophy.

It’s not just about saving money, though that’s nice too. It’s about resilience, patience, and creativity. Learning that mistakes aren’t disasters is just part of the process. And sometimes, the finished "fixed" thing is even better than it was before. A little messier, maybe, and a bit more lived in, but full of character.

Tiny Hands, Big Lessons

There’s no need to start with anything complicated. A loose screw on a chair leg, a button that’s fallen off, a toy that’s stopped lighting up. Let them help. Let them hold the screwdriver, even if it takes three times as long. Let them sew the button on crooked. It’s not about perfection. In fact, the wonkier the better, sometimes.

And it’s not just about objects either. It’s about the conversations that happen while you’re fixing things together. The stories that get told, the questions that pop up out of nowhere. "Why do things break?" or "Can we fix everything?" (Some of those questions get a bit philosophical if you let them.)

A Bit of a Lost Art

Somewhere along the way, we’ve convinced ourselves that fixing is for professionals, or people with specialist tools, or just not worth the time. But it doesn’t have to be a big production. A cup of tea, a bit of spare time on a rainy Sunday, and a curious child at your elbow is really all you need.

And for carers fostering with Orange Grove Foster Care especially, these little shared projects can be quietly powerful. Fixing things together builds trust. It says, in a gentle way, “We can make things better.” Which, for some children, is a message that matters more than we can know.

It’s About More Than Glue and Thread

Teaching kids to repair things is really about teaching them to care. To look at something and think, “Is this worth saving?” (Spoiler: it usually is.) And maybe, just maybe, they’ll grow up into adults who do the same, with their belongings, their relationships, and even the world around them.

So yes, the drawer might still stick a bit, and that old radio might only work if you tap it in the right spot, but there’s joy in that too.

And honestly, if nothing else, you’ll end up with a house full of slightly wobbly things that all tell a story, which isn’t such a bad thing really, is it?