Meccano Models
Meccano sets are made up of various sizes of metal strips, carefully polished to smooth perfection, rounded for no sticky points or sharp edges, and punched with standard sized holes. Since all the holes on the various shapes are uniform, there"s no trouble to be had in securing them to each other using the handy screws, nuts and bolts provided in each set.A complete Meccano set usually comes with an instruction booklet wherein simple picture illustrations tell children how to assemble vehicles, towers and cranes. The neat thing about all the model varieties is that they"re actually functional. With an included motor, standard gear set and uniform axles, finished Meccano models can move, race, grab and climb, so there aren"t really any limits to what your child can build safely.
Meccano models are not too big, but they"re made of durable steel and flexible plastics that are safe for children, teens and adults. The motors used are simple, requiring little wiring and only regular batteries so that they pose no risk of nasty shocks. Since Meccano models have been around since the early 1900"s, they"ve undergone a good number of changes since their initial conception, and they"ve only become more friendly because of it.
Meccano models that have been completed include locomotives and cranes, vehicles and also some rather astounding feats of engineering might that give a small hint of how powerful of an educational tool they are. The biggest Meccano model was a bridge across Liverpool"s famed Leeds and Liverpool Canal, and amazingly, working prototypes of early computers were modelled using the set pieces as construction materials. Meccano models are used to build highly accurate grandfather clocks and entrepreneurs use them to create completely new inventions and machines from scratch.
Children worldwide love Meccano sets, and even given a simple one, they"re soon to sail through the different setups presented in the instruction manual, and zoom on to their own concepts. Educators and parents value these tactile learning experiences for the lessons that their children and students earn from them through intrinsic use. The instructions, largely graphic, allow for interpretation and easy understanding.
Since a child has to figure out the most comfortable way to assemble a complete set or even attach a few parts together on his or her own, the Meccano models they use foster an independence of thought in their learning process. Their critical analysis of the problems presented to them by heaps of highly handleable learning aids will teach them how to make sense of a jumbled world, as global populations have attested for about a century.