Plastic Models That Spark Children's Imagination

 Kids don’t need much to play and even invent their own games. They still haven’t learned not to be amazed by sheer existence. We have all been kids and we’ve all been there.

Having a decent prop can help fuel imagination and it certainly makes for a great gift. So if you are an adult overwhelmed by work, credit rating, house and car chores, and family responsibilities, you can be the one that facilitates extraordinary playdates. It will certainly bring you back to careless hours spent in make believe.

It will also serve the little ones too. Giving life to objects in the form of models can instill lifelong obsession with developing prototypes of just about anything. Artists, architects, industrial designers and inventors – they all continue to play with models in their adult life.

Motorcycle Racing Craze

Races bring up a great deal of excitement. Kids can sense this if they are close to the race track, and understand it when they follow races on a screen. There is a catch, though. They are not allowed nowhere near the handle bars of an actual motorcycle, let alone those of the racing variety.

And then there are all these remarkable plastic motorcycle model kits which enable them to put replicas together. They are in scale (usually 1:12) but look exactly like their real life memes. Assembling a plastic scale model of a racing motorcycle is great fun. Detailed models come with more than 100 parts which are to be arranged following instructions. So these kind of models are for 10 year olds, but if there is an ankle bitter around please be careful as there are some small parts which can be hazardous. Kids will learn a lot by following the sequence of putting such motorcycle model together. They might even learn to differentiate parts – disk brakes from engine and frame from steering components and the exhaust.

Plastic motorcycle model kits include helpful micro tools like screwdrivers. However it might be necessary for an adult to step in with a file or a knife to separate all of the joined pieces apart. You’d have the liberty to choose a specific style of motorcycle model according to preference. Some kids are into recreating vintage and discontinued bikes, while others want to make fresh models. Fortunately there are multiple options to choose from: Yamaha, Honda, Ducati, Yoshimura, Suzuki, Kawasaki, etc. Motorbike model kits come with elaborate stories about their legacy, but most of them need no introduction whatsoever. Make sure you double check the offer because sometimes a wide array of colors are recommended but not included in the set.

A Touch of Humanity

It’s a male rendition of the typical doll. Tamiya, for example, has a model called Street Rider and this plastic man is compatible with most of the 1/12 scale motorbikes. Especially the street bikes. You even have several choices and the ultimate say in the pose and the style of helmet for this guy. If you want you can make him even look cool with a nice pair of shades. The level of detail is incredible for 3D scanning enables realistic folds and creases in the articles of clothing. For those that are into detailed race track paraphernalia, models like the rally mechanic (1:24) or racing rider figures (1990’ style) are must haves.

Soaring Through the Sky

Plastic model go well beyond what can be found in every garage. We are speaking about the different types of aircraft and spacecrafts. Not only are they able to fire children’s imagination, but they can also help model their worldview.

This range of plastic model kits include: civilian and commercial aeroplanes, military helicopters, satellites, supersonic aircraft, rockets and space shuttles. They do have a touch of nostalgia because they are centered on historic models. For example you can get a kit that commemorates the moon landing by the Apollo 11 mission. It has the lunar module, the infamous V rocket, and even a figure of an astronaut to reenact the landing. The scale on this models is 1:96, however they are still quite substantial because the real-life craft are far bigger than motorbikes. Assembly kits follow the basic principles of putting a plastic model together. The only difference with these models has to do with iconic designations which can be glued after the model has been assembled.

Same applies to the models of historic aircraft like the jet-stream airliners and transport planes. They are vintage, classic and available at a scale of 1:72. Some of the bigger models, like the prototype of a supersonic airliner or the V rockets come at a scale of 1:144.

Younger kids (5+) appreciate more straightforward models which exhibit some form of activity typical for an aircraft. One such example is the Apache helicopter (252 x 189 x 82mm) which is made up of just 37 parts. It features pieces that have to be snapped into place, so you won’t require any glue. This military helicopter is pre-colored (army green) and the kid can only add finishing decorative touches with self-adhesive stickers. The life-like spinning four-blade main rotor is what sparks a lot of excitement in the eyes of trigger happy rascals. They are perfect if you are looking for a plastic model that can be constructed with the least amount of effort.

Whatever your actual choice you can rest assured that these kind of models deliver hundreds hours of fun and a lifetime of playdate memories.