How are you passing this Hobby on to younger generations?

Here is my 10yo at the 2105 IPMS nationals

He has only completed a few models so far, and his interest is only kept for so long. But he always will tap me on the shoulder and say "Let's go build some models".

 

For me the books, TV shows, movies came before the models. They are what inspired me to seek them out and build them. At least during my initial serious modeling days. The Lindberg "Pirate Ship" is still sitting right here at my computer desk. Complete except for masts, rigging and sails. My grandson abandoned it three years ago. It was a bit advanced for an 8 year old but its what he picked out despite my trying to steer him to something easier.

mitsdude

Tried to get my sons and grandsons interested but it didn't last long. They each built about two models and didn't develop any interest.

Everyone is always mentioning video games, TV, movies getting all the attention in todays kids.

I believe another issue is interest in the subject matter. I loved reading, watching, talking about all things WW 2. I wanted to build the tanks, ships, planes that I saw in the movies. Ditto for scifi stuff.

 

I have the same problem.  Attempts to interest my kids in modeling didn't take, and I worked on my grandkids.  Bought them a few models and helped them to build them.  But once they got hooked on video games and Internet, they lost interest in models.  They do love military stuff, including WW2 stuff, but they play video games with WW2 tanks, and that completely captures their interest.

 

Tried to get my sons and grandsons interested but it didn't last long. They each built about two models and didn't develop any interest.

Everyone is always mentioning video games, TV, movies getting all the attention in todays kids.

I believe another issue is interest in the subject matter. I loved reading, watching, talking about all things WW 2. I wanted to build the tanks, ships, planes that I saw in the movies. Ditto for scifi stuff.

Awesome guys!

Good of you to include a spot for him at your bench. I have no children, now age 74, modeler for many decades. I keep no models, give away to friends that want something in particular, otherwise there is no shortage of kids to give them to.

In good weather my garage door is up, summer shop is there, winter it's inside. Neighborhood kids hear the compressor working and head that way, often I'll spend some time showing them how to build, detail, paint, etc. I supply them with older kits I don't want, give them Exacto tools, cement, paint and such, BUT, only with the consent of a parent.

First two shop visits MUST have parent to accompany, this is a different time we live in. Kids can take models home to work on, then come back to show and get progress reports. Now, some of the Dad's, brothers, sisters and their friends find their way here, many of the Dad's have never built a model and find they enjoy it as a family activity at their home.

My wife LOVES that the models find homes other than here, "dust catchers" she calls them. Foolish woman. Plastic and balsa stick models come out of here, the free flight models have really caught on and are popular in this neighborhood. I'm in wet Western Oregon, model building is a very satifying hobby in winter.

I'm having tons of fun doing this, well worth the time, in my retirement it gives me something that is full of enjoyment. One Dad told me the best thing he has noticed is his son not spending time at video games now, I have to think of that as a positive.

That's what I'm doing to pass the tradition along.

Patrick 

I've used model building as an assignment in my classroom.  I was inspired by watching James May's "Toy Stories" where he went into a classroom and brought models with him, prepping them to build a 1/1 Spitfire based on the old Airfix 1/72 kit.  While I don't have the resources to have my students build a 1/1 anything, I thought I could use my classroom fund to purchase a few kits.  I was going to have a small project-based class where I was going to assign the project, but that didn't work out.  Instead I got one student for independent study.  Since I already had the kits I let her pick one and sent her off to work.  She did a great job on her Spitfire and then asked to do a B-29.  She's built a few more since.  I also had another student do the same assignment, but she didn't take to it as well.  

My son will be five tomorrow, and we've done a couple of snap-tites together.  He really does seem to enjoy it, and talks about "building planes with daddy."  While at an antique shop he spotted an old Tamiya Triceratops kit for less than $5 so I picked it up and we have a kit to do together.

Whether they take it up or not, you still have that memory!

ROB;

    It's nice that you are doing that .There are some kids in my area that seemed interested , but even with a low parts count they grew bored with putting the engines and fuselages together and went back to computer games .

I do try to get kids interested in the Train models and that is bearing fruit . I now have four kids and at least three sets of parents working on train car kits .Go Figure .

 There are two ladies about forty years younger than I , seemingly interested in ships and they are both working on Titanic models . We spend some time at coffee at Starbucks going over photos of their work and I gently push for more .They deliver too .

    I don't think any hobby is dead .You just have to hit the right interest button , whatever that is .    T.B.

LOL I was letting him play on the X-29 I was working on at the time.

Boy he sure whipped that Mossie into shape!

In answer to your question- nothing. I pay people to build models of stuff at my firm, but half the time I just get impatient and finish them myself.

I guess I do try to be encouraging here to new comers, at least that might help.

I gave it a shot with my daughter, but she does other stuff. Draws pretty well.

I have buillt models with all of my kids. Started with snap tite's and eventually had each of them get to glue togethers. My oldest is now almost 25 and my youngest will be 18 in a few more weeks. Neither of them have stuck with it, although my son, also an adult now, and being a huge anime fan has started get back into it in the past couple of years with Gundam kits. He now enjoys a trip to the hobby store with me to find his own kits. But he now also faces dad's dilemma of trying to find the kit he wants most for the price he wants to pay. One day if and when I have grandkids, I will introduce them to the hobby as well.