Getting Your Kids Started in Slot Car Racing Every Christmas season (as well as at birthdays and other gift-giving occasions) many parents face the task of choosing a first slot car race set for their children. Most of them are completely new to the slot car hobby; all they know is that a race set is the “gotta have” item on their son or daughter’s wish list. In addition, a growing number of parents want to get their kids into slot cars as a means of prying them away from the TV, computer, and video games. They want to guide them toward a more hands-on, real-world, interactive pastime. If any of the above describes your situation Electric Dreams can help.  First, you need to determine whether your child is ready to race slot cars. Most kids have the necessary coordination, attention span, and general level of understanding by the age of six, but individuals can vary widely. Some younger children can handle it, and some older children may have problems if they are a little behind the curve in their development. If your child has the normal skills of a six-year-old he should be fine. It’s a good idea to provide some oversight and assistance to begin with, and in the process you will see very quickly whether your child is ready. If not, you can always put the race set away for a few months and bring it out later. By age eight almost all children are ready to race with little or no help needed. Most kids pick it up very rapidly. We like to tell parents of newborns that if they buy a race set, take it home and set it up, and practice an hour a day until the child is ready to race at age six, they may then be able to stay ahead of him for a week or so.  The main goal is to make sure your child (or a beginner of any age) has a fun and satisfying first experience with the hobby. More than anything else this will ensure that the beginner sticks with it and turns it into a long-term hobby with all the good things that flow from it. Toward that end there are several key things to look for in a first race set and any add-ons you may buy with it. They include: |
