Doing A Model Train Show With Kids #FatherhoodIsLit
If your kids are fascinated by trains like my sons, take them to a model train show asap!
When I saw a Facebook ad for the World’s Greatest Hobby On Tour show, I immediately knew I had to take my children.
It was a trade show that focused on the hobby of model trains and everything that goes along with it.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was willing to try it out with my kids and I’m glad we did it. We even got to bring 5 more families with us courtesy of the organization.
It was something new for us to try, the vibe was great and there was something for all of us to do. It was definitely a Cool4Dads Certified Event!
Next time there is a model train expo near you, you should definitively check it out and here’s why.
The Vibe: It’s A Playground Disguised As A Train Show
I have been lucky enough or maybe not that lucky, to ride the NYC train system all my life. My kids barely ride the train but loved them since birth. An event like this would definitely make them happy.
The real question was, would it entertain me? I wasn’t really sure if it would, I honestly expected the show to be full of old midwestern adults who didn’t look anything like me playing with trains.
I was wrong, so wrong!
This event was fully diversified, you had people of all ages, all nationalities and both females and males were out in full force.
Not once did I feel out of place and everyone was there enjoying themselves, especially the adults.
To make it very clear, this wasn’t a toy show, this was a vendor driven show. There were vendors from all over the country selling trains, tracks, clothing, everything that had to do with the Model Train Industry.
So keep that in mind if you decide to attend one. They are there to introduce the hobby to people and make sales, they are not there to entertain your kids. That’s your job.
Something For Everybody To Do
Considering that this was more of a trade show, it was a great way to introduce your kids to the hobby. There were only a few kid-friendly activities but they still loved it.
Most of the hobbyist there were heard repeatedly telling kids not to touch the trains or tracks. That got annoying at times but if you spent the time and money that they did, you would do the same.
Don’t Touch The Trains!!! ?
My kids were hooked to a life-size Thomas the Train that they could ride around a circle for 2 laps. We could have done that for hours and they would have been happy.
They also had a couple of locations where parents could take a break and let their kids play with random trains, tracks, and other items.
We spent most of our time learning about the hobby, asking hobbyist question after question. They loved their trains but also loved talking about it. Every booth had something you could learn from, I love events like that.
Exploring Something New With The Kids
To my kids, trains were toys. To most people at the event, trains were more than just a hobby, it was a way of life.
My kids and I would have never known how passionate these hobbyists were if we didn’t attend an event like this. Trains as a hobby were new to us and it was fun to learn about it together.
We weren’t sure what an event like this looked like and it didn’t really matter because we were going to explore it together. That’s all that really mattered, we were able to bond while learning about a hobby we knew nothing about.
Conclusion
As we drove to Edison NJ for the World’s Greatest Hobby on Tour, I kept asking myself if we would have fun.
The minute we walked in I knew we would enjoy ourselves. The energy was great and I could see that there were all types of people there.
There was something for everybody to do there. The number of hands-on play areas for kids was limited but they made up for it with all the cool train setups.
My kids and I were able to learn from almost every vendor we met and it wasn’t an expensive event to attend.
This show only comes around every few years and I know for a fact we will be there. Chances are we will check out any Train Show that comes our way due to the World’s Greatest Hobby On Tour show now.
It opened us up to a world we didn’t know about and had a blast together doing so. That’s what Fatherhood is all about!
Have you been to train show? Let us know how it went so we can let the community know!
