Technical instruction for a six-year-old?

[Anonymous]

Ok, this might be a weird question, but I have a six-year-old kid who seems to have an unusual obsession with the mechanical. (This morning, he was taking apart my DVD player and putting it back together again, and a few months ago he informed me he had fixed a toilet, and when I looked, it turned out that he had indeed taken the top off the toilet and fixed the broken flusher.) He glues himself to all the repairmen who come to the house, and fortunately they are often very nice and let him watch and give tutorials (he now thinks he can fix computers. Given his very serious interest, I am trying to figure out if there is anyway to find him some real instruction on anything from fixing computers to basic mechanics (even plumbing would be a plus), some way for him to actually take stuff apart and put it together with some help. I don't know a thing about the inside of a DVD player, but he would really like to know! Any other folks out there with young engineers in abeyance who've found a way to satisfy their curiosity? I'd really be interested to know what you've done, whether it's a special tutor or a class or camp, etc.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

This isn't quite what you are asking, but, the Home Depot has had weekend 'build it' classes for school-age kids.

Your son and mine are too young for the Nat'l Building Museum classes and camps, but it's something to keep in mind for when he's 8.

also keep in mind Cub Scouts.

Do you have a guy relative nearby? Frankly, my siblings and I learned a lot at the elbow of my grandfather. I can recall him teaching me to fix a bike and replace a lawn mower blade.