Afterschool Blacksmithing

Few after-school activities end with your kid handing you a bottle opener they forged themselves.

Over several weeks in Brookfield's Good Forge, students learn the traditional techniques — drawing, bending, twisting, punching, slitting and drifting — and put them to work on real projects: a J-hook, a bottle opener, a spatula, a marshmallow roaster. The instructors are working smiths and expect the room to leave knowing how to handle a hammer properly.

Good to know. Ages 12 to 17. $200 for the session, at the Forge, 290 Whisconier Road. Safety glasses required and all safety rules strictly enforced. Prices and openings change, so check the registration page before you plan around it.