Children and Radio Control Toys

From the beginning of time our children have learned through play. Simple games taught vital life skills of which many are now obsolete. Technological advances ensure we live longer and healthier but that in itself brings new challenges. Our childrens' life skill set has changed, they need to be able to operate machinery and get the best out of computers. So where do they begin to learn these vital skills ? Well that's something that hasn't changed, they play. Computer games can be educational but for the most part parents would much rather their children were more active and imaginative in their play. Where better to begin than with a toy that replicates some of the machines they will experience in real life? What if that toy could be controlled by a child and follow instructions given by a control unit simulating real life actions? The same technology that changes our world brings us radio controlled toys.

Before radio control autonomous toys used clockwork mechanisms. All movements were pre-determined by a set of cogs and push rods and were entirely predictable. Although some very complex toys were starting to appear it wasn't until the 1990's that miniature components became available for even the smallest models. Since then the radio control systems have become more and more complex, multiple channels control different functions simultaneously. Simple on /off remote controls have been replaced by full proportional digital systems such that a model car for example no longer just turns right and left but the amount of turn can be varied as well. This has allowed much more detail in toy replicas whilst still keeping them relatively inexpensive.



There's no doubt about it, children love radio controlled toys. In fact, if we are honest, its something we all love and that's due to the diversity and variety available today. Cars, tanks, boats, planes, helicopters and more. Just about anything you can drive, steer or fly is available, replicated in detail and in many cases fully functional. The radio controlled toy world fires imaginations in youngsters who build their own real life scenarios around the models, this often prompts inventive building of race tracks or detailed workings of airports, rail stations, boat harbours and just about anything else you can imagine all centered around the radio controlled toys.

The play sometimes goes beyond realism and into a world of fiction where anything is possible. A flying car, perhaps not yet possible but may well be common place in the next century. It will be our children that are the scientists of tomorrow sparked by ideas seeded today through play and exploration.

For our children it's all endless fun and exploration. Its a safe experimental learning experience that teaches coordination while introducing electronics and control systems similar to those used in industry today. Some radio controlled toys even have small simple computers that can be given basic tasks to carry out drawing similarities with today's big industry robots. In many ways toys, especially radio controlled toys will benefit every child in our ever advancing world.

The article was written on behalf of Cobra Toys , manufacturers of children Toy Helicopters.