Environmentally Friendly Model Car Ideas for Kids

• Collecting model cars has been a hobby for almost as long as cars have been around.Modell Car 10 image by Ron-Heidelberg from Fotolia.com
  
  Model cars have been a popular hobby for decades, and you can nurture your child's interest in model cars without harming the environment. By making your own model cars, buying used cars and using environmentally friendly products, you can have a fun hobby and help preserve the Earth.
  
  

DIY Model Cars

• You model cars don't have to be exact, die-cast replicas of actual vehicles. You can make cars out of paper, scrap wood, balloons and rubber bands. Plans are available online for all different kinds of cars that use very little resources to make. You can use cans for a car body, toothpicks for axles, and quarters for wheels. Brainstorm with your child about the different things you have around the house that could become a model car.
  
  

Buy Used

• There are tons of model cars already in existence that don't require any more use of resources to produce. Look at flea markets, swap meets, yard sales and online bidding sites. You can find model cars that replicate thousands of actual car models and don't add any pollution to the environment.
  
  

Biodegradable paint

• When you're decorating your model car, use paint that is safe for the environment. Use paints that are water-based and have a low number of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in them. Your local paint store should be able to tell you the VOC content of the paint they are selling, or you could look for manufacturers that make environmentally friendly paints.