DIY: A builder in the making may need guidance. Image supplied.

YOUNG designers and gardeners can wow the family with new skills they learn during the looming school holidays. Endless opportunities will inspire creative minds and encourage them to break free from the confines of computers and television.

Uxbridge — Howick’s creative centre — is hosting a lantern-making workshop where six to 12-year-olds will create a working art piece to light up a room. It’s also hosting Picasso painting and clay-sculpting classes for hands-on ingenuity.

Further afield children can take parents or caregivers to Auckland Botanic Gardens in Manurewa and learn to cook tasty herb pizza or discover everything there is to know about sunflowers.

The team at the gardens has planned What’s The Buzz to inspire youngsters to create bee-themed crafts and munch on naturally sweet treats.

Children can also explore the wonders of making goblins, bats and a terracotta pumpkin for a Halloween garden. Phone (09) 267-1457 ext 3 to book.

Finding inspiration for at-home activities can produce unusual but original gems. Paper mache makes stunning three-dimensional pictures and achieve appealing results.

Haul out the sewing machine and show apprentice seamstresses how they can make cushion covers to personalise their bedroom.

Knitting peggy squares is a good way to learn the basics of the handcraft and make an original snugly blanket.

Few youngsters learn how to tackle their own do-it-yourself projects with little exposure to adults working away in a shed.

The Mitre 10 DIY For Kids book is available at Manukau libraries and has good projects young builders can tackle with a helpful grand-dad or keen mum.

Digital cameras make photography a breeze and images captured by young eyes can produce exceptional wall art. Printing them onto canvas, compiling a holiday collage, or framing a masterpiece adds fun and style to family homes.

Make the most of the outdoors when the sun is shining. Children are excellent on the end of hedge clippers and will knock unruly growth into shape by the time morning tea comes around. Just don’t let them loose on favourite plants that are sensitive to severe trims.

Little muscles can help build compost heaps — mixing up grass clippings, kitchen waste, untreated wood-ash, animal manure and even weeds. Throw in some lime to help sweeten the brew.