Do you remember playing with paper aeroplanes as a child? It was easy back in the day. All you needed were sheets of paper to fold and a lot of space to fly them. However, many kids nowadays expect something more. They’d find fun tossing paper planes in the air, but after a while, they’d soon grow tired of it. Thankfully, improvements in technology have produced several enjoyable toys and activities, such as aeromodelling.
Aeromodelling is essentially making model aircraft with parts coming from kits. It’s not a brand-new thing, but advancements have made the crafts look more realistic and a joy to look at. If you’re looking for something for your family to do together, consider aeromodelling. Check out why you and your children could love doing this activity to bond as a family:
- Something Fun And New
Most children enjoy new toys and games. Your kids would no doubt find aeromodelling fun with family or friends on a calm afternoon. The model aircraft come in lightweight materials like wood, fibreglass, metal, or plastic, and sometimes, a combination of all those. Therefore, even older children with the smallest hands can pick up parts and create their dream aircraft.
You could start with affordable yet high-quality static models, such as these kits from Hobby Master Australia. Each plane is modelled after a real aircraft and boasts all the necessary details, which make them stand out from other model plane kits. Your children may become so engrossed with building their new mini aircraft that they could ask you to buy more after they finish.
- The Beginning Of A New Collection
Aeromodelling is an activity that has birthed hundreds of young collectors. Some of them have never even dreamt of starting a collection. Finishing one aircraft kit is an excellent start to a new hobby for your family. With so many models and kits available, you and your children may not be satisfied with only one.
Collecting items, like aeromodelling kits, seems like an expensive hobby. But you’ll slowly see how it benefits your whole family. Many collectors vouch for the stress relief their hobbies offer them. Additionally, collecting as a hobby teaches children social skills. While looking for new planes to build, you and your kids could encounter like-minded families. It’s one way for children to make new friends who enjoy the same hobbies as they do.
If you begin collecting model aircraft, you’ll learn about aircraft production and the history behind the models’ inspirations as well. Furthermore, your kids may dream of building actual planes or becoming pilots themselves. Collecting is a somewhat simple hobby, yet it could be the catalyst for big future goals, especially for young children.
- Exercise For The Hands
Building and playing with model aeroplanes isn’t as simple as it sounds. Aeromodelling enthusiasts take lots of time to ensure their aircraft are built right, so it stands correctly. Hence, expect you, your partner and your kids to spend countless hours working with your hands to create a little plane.
Despite the work, you could consider it decent exercise for your hands. You need a degree of control over your digits to build models. Thus, you could agree that aeromodelling is an excellent activity to improve hand-eye coordination in children.
Why only let you and the kids have all the fun? Invite the grandparents to join in building the model aircraft. It’s one way to get them moving in old age and could help prevent arthritis in the hands from developing.
- Gets The Brain Working
Aside from aeromodelling being a great exercise for your hands, it’s also an excellent workout for young and mature brains. Model aircraft are puzzles in their own right, and it requires cognitive abilities to know where which piece goes. Even with an instruction manual, you and your kids could spend some time figuring out how to build a realistic plane model from a bunch of small parts.
In addition, flying remote control model aircraft takes brain power. Kids will learn how to control their little planes to keep them off the ground. The activity also enhances their observation and critical thinking skills when controlling the aircraft around obstacles like trees.
Aeromodelling is quite a fun and beneficial brain exercise that some people claim could relieve symptoms of Alzheimer’s in older adults.
- Teaches Soft Skills
The best games teach children both hard and soft skills. By aeromodelling, your kids could learn technical lessons such as basic machine operation and people skills like communication. Building model aircraft is a way for children to practice both skills, especially the soft ones, since the activity may involve several people working together.
As a parent, you’re your child’s role model. They’ll catch your temperament while you help them build their model planes, even if you don’t notice. So, if you act impatiently during the process, they might think it’s normal and react likewise when faced with a similar situation. Therefore, even in a simple activity, you need to guide your child to foster good emotional health in them. Your child will carry those lessons wherever they go.
Conclusion
Aeromodelling is more than creating model aircraft from tiny parts and flying them. It’s a fantastic, worthwhile hobby you and your children could try. Your kids will definitely find it interesting, fun, and somewhat unique. Sooner or later, you and your family could love this activity more than you expected while learning valuable lessons.