Model behavior

Anthony looks over his creations, including a wooden plane I built for him when he as six.

Anthony displays his latest model, the U.S. Navy's Avenger

AUBURN, Maine - It is that hands-on-experience that makes this hobby more appealing and educational than any video game on the market.

For this family, the WEE is not for us, and video games are as enjoyable as watching me weed the garden or sweeping the driveway. Spending hours in front of a computer screen knocking off bad guys or shooting a basketball with the push of button really isn't entertaining for a family who would rather walk the beach or hike a small mountain.

Putting together the Titanic, the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Enterprise or adding the finishing touches to the turret of a Sherman tank is an incredible learning experience for a child who wants to know how things work and how these magnificent machines have changed the entire planet and interact with mankind.

This unique hobby allows anyone to build a ship, plane or muscle car on a kitchen table in the privacy of their own home. And when these projects come to fruition, the proud and industrious creators of these plastic or wooden wonders end up learning about history as well as how each part of an automobile or plane functions.

Building plastic or wooden models require brains, patience, engineuity and resourcefulness, and all four prerequisites can be taught to your child for the cost of glue and a model. 

The only educational toys that come close to building a model of the Hindenburg are Legos or Erector sets, and my son is a master builder of ships using Legos. 

A WORK IN PROGRESS: The Nantucket takes shape.

For us, video games are a straight waste of our time, but building a model with my precious son is a rewarding experience that enlightens us and gives a father and son an opportunity to work together on a project that involves a great deal of creativity and teamwork.

All work and all play

While the winter winds howl outside and we are forced to spend most of time indoors taking cover from the elements, my son is working on three models,  which include the Avenger, the U.S. Navy's World War II vintage torpedo bomber, the lightship "Nantucket" and the U.S.S. Oliver Hazard Perry, a guided missile frigate.

We have just finished spray painting parts to the Avenger and the Nantucket. The Avenger, in all its deadly splendor, was completed today.

But models are not cheap, and the purchase of large-scale and intricate behemoths that are sometimes motorized can run well over a $100, and if painting and batteries are required, then it really puts the hurt in your wallet. The U.S.S. Melvin has a complicated motor and is about three feet long and cost nearly $100, but we purchased it for far less at a discount store.

Building the wooden planes and ships that I have done in the past for my son certainly put my woodworking skills to the test, but the love that went into those projects were for a son who enjoys learning and is an outstanding student, and that is why there is no comparison when it comes to model-making or video games.

Anthony's boat clock he built in tech lab.

Anthony and I started making models (our first was a 1930s pick-up truck) when he was just five years old, and about four years later, he completed a model of the Titanic,which is difficult for an adult, never a mind a 9 year old.

He was hooked after completing his first model, and video games never became a priority in life. Thanks to his making of model ships, he has become an authority on naval crafts dating as far back as the 1500s. 

A majority of Anthony's knowledge about navy ships and warplanes was ascertained from building models, books and the Internet.

So much for video games.