Hi all. I have read a few discussions regarding the future of scale modelling with kids being more interested in electronic gizmology and games, so I wanted to share this with you.

My 8 year old (Josh) and 4 year old (Liam) boys have both sat and watched me from time to time (and asked endless questions), and I have encouraged them to have a try at putting together a few parts.
Now Liam doesn't have the dexterity yet, but we are working on his 1/72 Academy P-47 together, with a blindingly wild what-if colour scheme. It will be his contribution to the "Dressed to Kill" campaign over on Lampie's SIG.
Josh on the other hand is enjoying the challenge, and after watching "Battle of Midway" (the movie) together he decided he wanted to have a go at painting an old Monogram 1/48 Hellcat that we have been working on together.
Here he is having his first try of the airbrush . .




And his handiwork . . .


Josh and Liam are now leading their squadrons around the house sinking imaginary carriers and taking part in very noisy dogfights.

Just wondering if anybody else here has an apprentice in the wings ??

Cheers, D

My 9 year old (bash) is currently building the dragon 1/48 bf110d-3.I won it for MOM comp.and I dont build German thingies.He loved the paint scheme so its all his.I sat him up on a bed box next to my desk and let him rip.He is doing surprisingly well with such a complex kit occasionally asking questions.We will post pics when done

Excellent work there Josh, your dad just posted your thread for me and my son to see it. My son Nathan (he just turned 10) really likes to airbrush, he said it's his favorite part of building models. I hope you're enjoying your modeling with your dad!

Mark

Looking good. Its great to see younger people involved in modeling. Dad & lad builds last forever.

Hi all. I would really like to see this thread getting some input from a few youngsters to show the future of our great hobby. Josh showed his latest build off at our club meeting last night, it's an Airfix 1/72 Spitfire and it was Josh's first attempt at freehand airbrushing camo.

Link to club webpage

All I helped with was some pencilled outlines for the green and straightening some of the decals up.

I'm very proud of my little man.

we had a similar initiative over the summer hols. My youngest and his two cousins attacked two Airfix Harriers and a Sd.Kfz 234 - not an X-box in sight !



my offers of help were resolutely declined......



finsihed Sea Harrier - E is 14 so this was a pretty competent effort



A is 11 and he tends to do his own thing . He started the Harrier and then put it to one side, before going back to an old B-17




M is 11 - he's not really into aircraft but plays a lot of Call of Duty etc ...so knows his German armour !

That's exactly what I'm after Neil, thanks for your input. I'm sure there are similar stories going on all over, so let's see a few more please guys !!

Cheers, D

My grand daughter is the only one who has an active interest in model building.

I decided a few months back to write a book on building model subjects for beginners as I joined a local Community Model Club, where I have been passing my tips and hints onto the kids in the club. Unfortunately there are a couple who wonder off in a very short time.

Very nice work by your son,and great work in your efforts with the other young ones

I love to see the younger folks involved in model building! I think it's great to see people take an active interest in fostering the future of our hobby. I have personally had mixed results getting kids interested in model building but I will keep trying. Well done. Russell

It's been a while since I added to this thread, but my youngest boy Liam turned 6 last week, and his 9yo brother Josh bought him a kit for his birthday (with a little financial assistance from yours truly!). Here is Liam starting out on his first armour build......


and heres big brother Josh starting his latest kit, the 1/72 Hobby Boss F-18 Hornet .......


More progress pics as we get further along.

Anybody else have junior builders with work to share at the moment ??

Cheers, D (and L and J)

And proud you should be.....wish my builds looked like that!!!!Schackle him to the modeling bench I say!!!Well done young man!!!

Regards
Henk.

Very nice too see so much youth modeling,there's only a few modelers my age that i know (im 14).
It would be really awsome if more younger guys and girls were intersted in history/modeling.


Kind regards,Sven.

I met a shopholder he other day. He sells computergames, bb-guns, toys, dungeons and dragons type of figures and plastic models.

According to him, many children who buy computergames sooner or later come back for a model of their favorite tank or airplane from one of these games.

He claimed that he had a steep decline in modelsales a couple of years ago but now things are taking up again. He said that yougsters are interested in the hobby but added that much depended on availability in the shop, reasonable prices and the will of shop owners to promote modelling.

And he was a bit upset with the local hobby club which was concentrating on expensive, highly detailed kits only, making youngsters without much cash feel very unwanted.

That's really unfortunate and short-sighted. The young modellers on limited budgets need the experience and advice of the older club members to learn and get more enjoyment from the hobby, and the club needs to realise that they are alienating possible members and jeopardising their own long-term future. The club that I am involved in (as an active committee member for the first time this year) has quite a few young members and they are treated no differently from the guys that have been members for many years.

My two boys get as much joy from building their $10 kits as I get from my $100 kits, and that's what it's all about.

Cheers, D

Don't you have the strange feeling that you're probably doing it wrong? ;P

Now you're starting to sound like my wife. That reminds me of an old proverb:

"If a man makes a statement in a forest, and there's no woman nearby to hear it, is he still wrong?"

Yes Michal, I am sure that I'm doing it wrong most of the time, but I'm enjoying it regardless so I just carry on !

Cheers, D

I reckon for young kids, legos would be more appropriate than models - it has all the attributes of the hobby - a bit of logic when assembling, an interative process when building (being way more forgiving), building from small blocks (a sense of a project, or realisation of the effort required) and most importantly, using their imagination!

Whilst I wouldn't mind priming my kids for modelling, the type of kits would be very specific - snap together ones, colourful ones, intuitive ones. Ideally it would be something with a function - whether a boat that goes in water, or a mini racer that runs. Play is important for them to enjoy the end product.

What I'm trying to say is modelling as a hobby for adults has a different dimension to it as a 'fun' pastime for a kid. As a hobby we are really applying our skills on a medium. For a kid, it's more about the exploration and the end product. Like fishing, kids get excited with the catch but all those technicalities of the location lure hook lines bore them.

Hi Jim. Good points you raise, the value of the kid's Lego "stash" would easily double my kits. The ability to build, destroy and build again is a real asset as well.

My boys are not too fussy about the accuracy of their builds, the Churchill is apparently going to be painted bright yellow, and the two boys play for hours with their kits afterwards. In fact a few of my builds have been seconded to their dogfights and air/sea battles, usually with disastrous results, but we all have a lot of fun and enjoy the time together.

As you said there are also the "serious" builds that consume a lot of time, thought and effort to complete. These are the "look but DON"T touch" builds on the shelf at home.

Cheers, D

I am the black sheep in this story.
In my life I have had many hobbies, but plastic was not interested in me. It seemed to me the children's things. Three years ago I watched my son works at a bunch of plastic kit (a tank), he asked me to take him to an exhibition of plastic models in Zagreb. When I saw these models,kit virus grabbed my Now my son is 15 and has other priorities.
A few days ago he told me''kits are an interesting hobby, but you've took them a little too seriously''?

Quick! Those symptoms are still treatable! It's not too late to salvage him

Well Josh takes after his father for sure. The Hornet is assembled and drying, but no he can't wait and has to get started on another build. Here he is starting a Tamiya 1/48 A-10, again with full weapons load and wheels up being the preferred option.



And here's Liam with his little Churchill assembled and ready to paint.



I'm sure the A-10 and the Churchill will be engaged in mortal combat before long.

Cheers from Rigby Brothers Manufacturing

Hi all. Time for the next installment of Rigby Brothers Junior Model Manufacturing Inc.

While I was labouring away on a 1/32 Hasegawa P-40 for the Aeroscale Campaign, Liam was working on his own Academy 1/72 P-40. Today the flat coat was airbrushed on all over, including the canopy !



Next up on Liams workbench is a 1/72 Revell P-47.

Josh has just started on a 1/24 Fujimi Lambo Countach !

Cheers, D

Ooo very nice D pleased theyy are enjoying the hobby as well its always nice to see

We've got quite a production going here too. Work spaces for all three kids-- ages 7, 5, and 4.

I have added lights to the other two, after this picture was taken.
The younger two work mostly with poster paints, but the oldest, my son, is pretty adept already...


Between the 4 of us, my many-years-old stash is suddenly dwindling, but there are some that are saved just for dad!
-Sean H.