aviation/engineering toys for kids

[GeorgeC]

My son turns 4 this week, and I've been trying to think of some aviation/engineering-themed educational toys for him. I picked up a snap circuits fm radio and a cutaway cox 049 engine from ebay, but he might be too young to get those concepts.

When he was younger, he enjoyed hot wings die-cast airplanes and a panel poster. I got him a vfr wall planning chart but he hasn't taken to geography yet. He does seem to be into weather.

Any other ideas?

 

[Velocity173]

Model rockets, model planes and RC planes...no, not drones.

 

[FredFenster]

Airplane legos.

 

[SixPapaCharlie]

Model rockets, model planes and RC planes...no, not drones.

We do model rockets. Started younger than recommended so we would build. He would paint, I would wire it up, he would countdown and launch.
Then we would race to recovery, trying to catch them before they hit the ground (Assuming CAPS deployed properly). No catching lawn darts.

 

[AggieMike88]

Model rockets

All through elementary school, I was sooo into building model rockets with my Dad and launching them.

If you get the age appropriate kit, and some books that helps explain how rockets work and where they came from (Newton, Goddard, and Chinese), it will provide lots of great father/son time and learning opportunities.

And rockets don't have to go upwards.... some tape to the die cast cars and planes....

 

[AggieMike88]

My favorite one was the swing wing. It would launch vertically, and the charge that normally deployed the parachute would cause the pin holding the wing to retract, allowing the rubber bands to pull it into position. The rocket would then glide to the ground.

 

[Velocity173]

My favorite one was the swing wing. It would launch vertically, and the charge that normally deployed the parachute would cause the pin holding the wing to retract, allowing the rubber bands to pull it into position. The rocket would then glide to the ground.

Lol! I had that one as well. Also had a Space Shuttle (horrible) and the Estes camera rocket that took crappy grainy pictures.

 

[AggieMike88]

Before we completely thread drift to rocketry....

There are also lots of robotics and coding toys for kids in this age bracket. Something where they can build it with their parent, then use an app on a tablet or PC to code instructions to make it do something.

 

[AggieMike88]

Another idea that could be done on the cheap... Give him a big box of miscellaneous and unrelated stuff, and ask him to build a Rube Goldberg machine. The task could be something he does already like, turn out his bedroom light from his bed across the room from the light switch with a minimum of 10 distinct steps.

With this, you are definitely flexing his puzzle solving, creativity, and engineering skills.

As a demonstration, show him this Ok Go video

 

[RyanB]

Bought one of these little indoor RC heli's at Hobbytown a few years back. Good for the "big kids" too.

 

[AggieMike88]

One of the Crystal Radio Kits? Home Tesla Coil kit?

Get him one of the Lego kits that has the motors and remote control servos and transmitter. At age 4, he can first build a non-moving robot... and then figure out on his own how to make it move and terrorize the family pet.

 

[DrewG]

Not completely aviation-related, but the whole Tinker Crate subscription this is awesome for STEM-themed learning. My girlfriend's son (age 13) got a subscription from his grandparents. They have different levels for different ages, and I've provided a link for the crates in the 5-8 age bracket, the Kiwi Crate. At the top of the page, there are links to the other age brackets and you may find that the 3-4 bracket is more appropriate if I'm overestimating your son's aptitude, based simply on what you've stated.

http://www.kiwicrate.com/

 

[Sac Arrow]

Definitely rubber band planes and balsa gliders. The kind where you have to play around with them to get the trim and W&B right.

 

[MAKG1]

Did absolutely everyone miss that this was for a four-year old?

The best you are going to do is a small Lego airplane kit. MAYBE a Balsa glider if you don't mind it getting wrecked in 30 seconds.

An RC helicopter? It will be broken after two landings^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H crashes.

 

[GlennAB1]

He turns 4.... get him simple, fun, flying machines, balsa and Styrofoam gliders and rubber band powered.

 

[GeorgeC]

Urge to build wind tunnel... rising...

 

[steingar]

Word has it that a member of this site wrote not one but two books on paper airplanes...

 

[GeorgeC]

I was not aware of that, dutifully bookmarked. Thanks!