When times get stressful and tensions are high it’s only natural to try and find something that takes our minds off of things and makes us feel a bit better about everything that’s going on. Stress is an unavoidable part of living nowadays, which means that that need for solace and relaxation is needed more than ever. There are many different ways you can go about relaxing, from a day at the SPA to sporting activities that relieve you of both physical and mental strains.

However, for people who are a bit more introverted or don’t have the luxury of being able to be physically active all the time, creative hobbies are a great way of diminishing stress and getting back on track both mentally and physically. There is a great variety of hobbies out there, a little something for everyone.

Some might pick up an instrument, others like to crochet or sew, but many people who are into creativity and love to immerse themselves into tasks that require their full attention, turn to scale model making as their hobby of choice.

Scale Model Making: An Introduction

Scale model making has been around for a long time and has a lot of different branches. There are your typical military scale models which are extremely popular, especially in Australia, architectural models that can take you all over the world, and even things like boats and little motorbikes, but the ones I’d like to talk about today are the scale model cars.

Model kit cars are intricate and require a lot of creativity and attention to detail, which makes them a perfect hobby for older people as well as younger kids that are in need of a creative outlet that will develop crucial motor and mental skills. What makes scale model cars different from the rest of the scale model making community is their diversity and the contemporary feel they have.

For example, military scale models are heavily concentrated on historical accuracy and knowledge, but the model car kits include both old and new vehicles, dipping their toes in history, but also carrying modern times along with them. This makes them a perfect hobby for any age group, especially since they are so easily accessible. You can buy car models Australia wide in well-stocked hobby shops, both online and in-store.

Now, I’d like to dive a bit deeper into the actual benefits of scale model making with a focus on car scale model making.

Developmental Benefits

As I said before, scale model building allows for both mental and physical development without even trying. Their size will help older people practice precision and lessen the risk of motor diseases like arthritis. In younger people, this aspect will help develop their motor skills steadily by requiring the use of little tools to assemble the little models.

Furthermore, having to follow specific instructions positively affects the brain. Scale model making is much like a 3D puzzle. Every piece has its own place and the instructions are detailed and immersive, so when you’re building the model itself, you’re actually exercising your brain and lessening risks of dementia in older people, and developing the creative side of the brain in younger ones.

All of this is happening spontaneously, so the task doesn’t feel like a learning experience even though it is, so the risk of any person responding negatively to it is quite low.

Educational Benefits

As I said, all model making has deep roots within history, with some models being dictated by it more and others a bit less. However, all of them are tightly connected to real life, so whichever model kit you choose to do will unavoidably teach you a thing or two about what you’re making. With plastic model car kits, the history goes as far as the first vehicle ever created. Depending on your likes and interest you can either go chronologically and build and learn as you go, or you can pick your favourite models and learn all there is to know about them while building them.

Once again, the learning process will happen spontaneously and won’t feel like a chore, which is especially great for children and young adults who are already swamped with much work due to school and other school-related activities. Having this information on hand will be very useful throughout life and might even spark a greater interest in all things connected to cars, which can then turn into a life-long love and career.

Social Benefits

Scale model making is a hobby that’s quite popular around the world, with many online forums as well as meet-ups being organized everywhere. This is a great chance for people involved in modelmaking to meet like-minded individuals, discuss their favourite models, and ultimately create new connections and make new friends.

For older people, meeting new friends can be quite a challenge, so model making can be a door to a new social life and a chance to escape reality a little bit. The same goes for younger people as well. Sometimes, especially if you’re an introvert, making friends can be a bit of a chore, so by joining forums and going to meetups the chances of scoring new friends increase dramatically based on the already-established mutual interest.

Seeing that you can buy car models Australia wide your new friends don’t have to local, they can be from all over the country, if not the whole world. Much like what we see with the vast RC car communities, the car kit model community is vast and always ready for new members and new friendships, allowing for participants to feel included and have a sense of belonging – a thing we all crave, no matter our age.