I love to model. Not very good at it, but getting better. But most of my models are strickly plastic and glue. That’s because my son, 5, likes models too. He and I sit together and build’em. He cuts out the pieces, I trim them, he helps put the pieces together and I try and glue them while not glueing his fingers together. He doesn’t quite have the patience to paint them yet and he wants to play with them as soon as we can throw them together. I cringe just a bit when he points to the $25 Tamiya Corsair, $35 Hawagasa 109 or other not so cheap model that I bought saying one day I would get around to “really” putting together. But I look at him and think of how much fun it is to spend time with him doing something we both like, and it’s worth it. I have a couple of projects going that hopefully one day I will finish, but in the mean time, I’ll keep throwin together stuff with my boy.
Just curious if anyone else models like this. [:)]
Look in your local toy stores for Tonka stuff…they had or still have small wood kits. I got them for my son when he was 4 & 5…easy assemble and he can paint them any way he wants…good way to keep him interested…
I build with my 2 boys, they do everything from ships, airplanes, cars, tanks, but mostly they like the Bandai Gundam robots - snap together - no glue needed. And if you get hte better ones, they really stay together. If tthey want a plane or tank, I try to steer them toward the last expensive ones in 1/72. They don’t really care about accuracy or the extra details that you are paying for with the higher price kits, so why pay for them? In either case, i let them do as much as they can themselves. Sometimes, all 3 will be building our own models at the same time.
As far as models, we have put together just about every snap-together out there. One problem is they don’t make any more prop planes in snap-together. Only jets and an apache. The boy is a prop plane freak. He can name just about every WWII aircraft by their nicknames. I actually found an old B-26 snap-tite, like 1970s, model on ebay and bought it. He enjoyed that. I know they made more, but haven’t had any luck finding htem. But I have a stash of WWII aircraft glue models he sees every time we open the closet and those are usually the ones he likes. Father like son.
Oh, BTW, there was a thread a long time ago talking about modeling areas. Someone, can’t remember who, gave me the idea of turning a closet into a modeling area. We just bought a house and I talked my wife into giving me the office closet. I had the builder make the door wider so my son and I can sit side by side. I installed a table and shelves. It’s turned into a great place fo rmodeling, much better than hauling all my stuff to the kitchen table. I can close the closet doors and leave all the stuff out where I had it. Much nicer.
There is nothing better than modeling with your son/daughter, it’s educational without being boring, it helps their hand/eye, you insure the future of our great hobby and above all it’s fun to have this kind of quality time with your kids.
I model with my 2 1/2 year old son, my 10 year old daughter, and my 14 year old step son from my first marriage ( he still comes to visit in the summer with my daughter). I enjoy modeling with them all. My 2 year old loves to cut out the parts, but still needs help putting them together. We buy him his own easier kits that dont cost much, we put em together together [:p], then he sits down with a little bit of paint in a cup (his color choice) and puts it on. We usually spred this out over a week, then we help him put on the decals. Some he plays with, and others he puts on the shelf to look at. As for the older two, we help them with what they need help with, and let em goo at it. This has become some of the best times I have spent with my kids, There never seems to be any fighting, complaining, or missbehaving, and we all enjoy it. I really do wish that I would have done this years ago, I have missed out on alot of time with the older two.
I also get alone time, where I work on my stuff without distraction, but its the time with the kids that is the best.
That’s exactly how I got into modeling! My dad and I would build them together and I’m still going today. [:)] There are a few Snap-Tites and cheaper Revell/Monograms that can be bought at Wal-Mart or at Michaels that won’t make you cringe when your son decides to play with them after they’re built (I did the same thing with the Hasegawas and Tamiyas my dad built while he was as sea…needless to say he was none to happy when he got home[:p]).