How Do You Help Kids Build Plastic Models?
Plastic models are made in a range of skill levels that make it easy to start out with a kit that is suitable for kids around eight years old. Building plastic models is a great way for kids to learn patience and improve fine motor skills in assembly, painting and gluing. Here’s how to have fun and learn skills building plastic models. Start with a beginner’s level model that snaps together, has stickers instead of decals, and has major pieces in colored plastic to minimize painting. Level-one models are mostly cars and planes. Let your child pick out the model at the store. Start model building by clearing a table or setting up a card table to work on. Unfold the instruction sheet and lay it to the left of the assembly area. Take larger parts out of box and show your child how to identify them on the assembly diagram. Open bags of smaller parts and show your child how to remove parts from casting trees with a hobby knife or a ‘sprue cutter’. Identify each part as you remove it by comp
