MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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Is Scalextric suitable for a 6yr old?
Anyone done anything to limit the speed, like drilling the throttle handle on the controller?
I know they do cheaper sets for younger children, but would prefer to go with the proper "Sports" version. Anyone got a "Scalextric Start" set, is it any good?
Mine were playing with the microscalextric from about 3 & had no issues with speed... flat out everywhere & the cars stayed on
Why would you want to limit the speed?. Does not compute. 😉
Because I am concerned the cars would be broken before the Turkey is cooked.
I built my Scalextric up for Thump and Thud a while back.
(bought in anticipation of Thump;s arrival, ahem)
Thump was 6, Thud was 4.
Thump tried to do the speed control on the corners but not with much success. Thud was his usual 110% self and so I spent the afternoon digging cars out from under the sofa.
Conclusion: Wait a another year.
For young children don't buy any F1 style cars with wings as these will soon be snapped off.
The saloon cars are fairly robust, although expect wing mirrors to get broken pretty sharpish!
Buy some cheap cars as well...
I glued dowel on the controllers to limit the speed, worked when mine were little.
tbh I'd buy s/h off ebay or the like. I was going to sell our set (F1) as it doesn't get used. One exactly like it (and as new) sold for £32...
My son was six when he started but I drilled the throttle trigger and hooked a paperclip through it to restrict max speed and used the low detail impact resistant cars (the ones with blacked out windows). No problems and he soon got the hang of it. Don't restrict the throttle too much though or they wont learn that they have to back off the throttle for corners! I was going to drill another hole to restrict it less as he got better but he didn't need it and the paperclip was dispensed with altogether pretty soon.
my 2 year old daughter manages the velodrome set fine. As long as she doesnt get distracted, then poor Chris Hoy goes flying across the lounge.
My three year old manages the first set ok. One extreme or the other though- he either crawls round or flies off at the 2nd corner!
Loves it though!
6 will be fine - that's presuming all they have to do is put the cars back on for you at the top corner you can't quite reach without putting your beer down. By the time you are bored playing it in a few months and you let them have a go WGAF if the cars get trashed? It'll be a life lesson learnt for them!
Thanks everyone.
tim2106 - think that's what I am going to do, then the paperclips can be easily removed for mummy and daddy to race 🙂
microscalextric is utter garbage - the tracks and cars just aren't made teh way they used to be.
Get a set with the drift cars, you don't have to worry about the speed as the cars stay on the track, just keep doing doughnuts.
My three year old manages the first set ok. One extreme or the other though- he either crawls round or flies off at the 2nd corner!
Loves it though!
We've had microscalextric since he was three, it's just fine. there are a lack of parts though, it seems easier to buy another set than to get spare bits of track
I received my first scalextric set for my 6th birthday (in 1980). It was the 300 set with the minis and I can confirm that they took quite some time to master.