Kits for Kids

[Just Mike]

just thinking about ways to inject some life into the hobby and came up with Kits for Kids, something to get kids modeling instead of watching...whatever the heck kids watch and put down the PSP for a while.

It would work like the Toys for Tots. Participants would buy a kit or twelve and donate them along with the essential supplies needed to do a very basic build, maybe a testor's starter set.

The program would have to be from ages 10+ just to keep an 8 year old's hands off an exacto.

I was thinking, if that discount store still had kits, I'd buy up a bunch of cars and dinosaurs and donate them. That reminds me, there aren't any kits left at that store so I couldn't get the Graf Zeppelin.

Thoughts? Comments? Please share!

 

[Quaralane]

Reminds me of the principle behing the "Make N Take" at shows like Wonderfest.
But it takes things a step further. I like the idea.

 

[13aceofspades13]

the only reason i did not start modeling at a earlier age is beacuse my parents where sort of protective and did not want me messing with the glue in paint, my first model i did buy myself (sort of, my parents where breathing down my back a little) i would have been engrossed far less in video games and stuff.

when i was 13 i did my first model, i think a snap tite kit are good kits for kids.

 

[Grendels]

Gundam kits would be perfect.

Snap fit, no paint required and when finished they can be used as toys. If you break them, you rebuild them.

They're kind of like Lego I suppose.

Jingles.

Jingles had the exact same idea I did. If you haven't built a modern Gundam kit, then you should. You can get a good finish on one with no paint and a decent skill set. I built one about a month ago just to see what they are about. (I will post the video sometime next week.....) But they would be perfect for the beginner.

 

[Haggistom]

I find with kids that if you find something that exists in their world you can drag them into yours.

With my son, the Huey Hog he is building was picked because he had been flying that in one of his PS3 Games!!!

He is 11 and its not the easiest of models but as long as we only spend about 1 hour at a time he gets right into it. After that, its off for a game of COD.(How i ended up doing the Apache)

 

[ShutterAce]

Haggistom has good points. You have to do it with them. I have 3 kids(13, 10, and 6) and they all like models, yes even the middle daughter. The catch is you have to do it with them. I don't think it was much different when I was a kid. I got my first kit for my 4th birthday and my grandmother(yep ) spent the next 5 or so years working with me on all kinds of kits(Anyone remember the Revell Model Builders Club?). After that I was on my own and just kept on going.

Kits can be pretty simple nowadays. My youngest has no problem putting together a Pegasus snap fighter in less than 30 minutes. He gets a new toy out of it, I get one on one time with him, and it only cost me 10 bucks. What a deal! ;D

 

[Quaralane]

I think ShutterAce hits it on the head.
You can give them all the kits and equipment in the world, but they won't start using it until someone, i.e. you, takes interesting in working with them.
Running into this with my 15 year old son. He's got a small stash that he's had for a couple of years. But he doesn't have any drive to even start a build on his own at this point