Wood Ship Kits for Kids

[6ohiocav]

Our modeling club, Shipwrights of Central Ohio, in conjunction with the Ohio State Fair, is sponsoring a building seminar for kids ages 8-12. the plan is to conduct the program at next year's Ohio State Fair in August 2019. We are probably going to create a very basic wood kit from scratch for the seminar. It will require some assembly and painting. Our plan is to then let the participants take something home with them to build on their own with their parents and bring back to a future club meeting for display.

 

My question is whether anyone is aware of a commercial wood kit that could serve the purpose of a take home kit.  It still has to be pretty basic and modest in price.

 

Or, has anyone done such a thing, and if so, what did you do, and what worked or did not work.

 

Our club spent an entire meeting trying to come up with ideas on how to get young folks interested in shipbuilding. I have a hunch that many of you have pondered that challenge.

 

Any suggestions would be helpful.

 

Thanks

[Bob Cleek]

Concept-wise, how about a "Pinewood Derby boat:" instead of a Pinewood Derby car. You can google "pinewood derby" and find all about the Pinewood Derby, a model car equivalent of the old Soapbox Derbies. Kids love them. Simple wood kits of cars that run down an incline. It's a staple of Cub Scouting these days. It's become quite a little industry with kit sales and apparently somewhat lucrative for the kit sales companies. They way it works is that there are simple dimensional limitations, a five ounce weight limitation, and stock wheels. Beyond that, it's up to the kid to make a car out of it. Prizes are for the fastest down the incline and for the best decorated and so on.  It might be duplicated with boats using a pond and a big fan.

[grsjax]

There is, or was a company called Woodkrafter that makes simple model ships for kids.  Don't know if they are still in business.

Edited September 18, 2018 by grsjax

[HMS Bellisle]

how about this :   https://amatimodel.com/kids-kits-building-the-s-ta-maria-first-step-all-the-builds-logs/

[Captain Poison]

This is pretty basic and modest in price..

 

https://www.artesanialatina.net/en/artkids/1393-drakkar-viking-boat.html

[BETAQDAVE]

39 minutes ago, HMS Bellisle said:

how about this :   https://amatimodel.com/kids-kits-building-the-s-ta-maria-first-step-all-the-builds-logs/

    A simplified version to be sure, but something that young children would really be proud of when they are are done.  A very good subject mater to pique their interest.

[navarcus]

Have built kits from these folks and they are easy and really work well in the water. 

 

They even have a line called 'pine wood sailors'.

 

https://shop.seaworthysmallships.com/

 

Nav

[6ohiocav]

Thanks all!

 

Some great ideas. Keep them coming.

 

 

[John Allen]

On ‎9‎/‎20‎/‎2018 at 3:35 AM, navarcus said:

They even have a line called 'pine wood sailors'.

Neat link to the flea fleet for the little ones