The Best RC Cars for Kids
The Benefits of RC Cars
Remote control cars can be a fantastic choice for children, and the experience can lead to a lifelong interest in model building. It may also give them an interest in engineering that could lead to a future career!
Every parent loves the idea of bonding with their kids over common interests, and RC car racing is perfect for this. As well as the thrills of racing and driving cars around a fast track or over rough terrain, there are potential building and developmental benefits. RC cars for kids are also a way of getting them outdoors to play and away from screens and computer games.
How Can You Get Started?
Factors to consider include your child’s age, interests, and skill level. You should also think about whether they prefer off-road adventures, sleek sports cars, or vehicles like monster trucks.
For the very young, an off-the-shelf RC car for around £50 is a good option. These are of course just toys, but they give a younger child the chance to experience model racing and get started.
For the more advanced child, Lego offers some great RC cars in their Technic range - including a Dakar Rally Off-Road model. Lego Technic cars are a great foundation as they are challenging enough to make construction interesting without being overwhelming. However, the driving experience is pretty basic with these models so you need to spend a little more to find the best RC cars for kids.
Voltage Models Recommendations Include:
FTX Ravine 1:10 RTR M.O.A. Rock Buggy Crawler
Coming in at around £100 and 99% ready to run, this RC car offers insane levels of fun! The four different steering modes add to the thrills and make this ideal for kids interested in driving and racing model cars. It’s not the fastest, but the FTX Ravine Rock Buggy Crawler can handle the toughest conditions and traverse any terrain.
The M.O.A. (motor over axle) design of the Ravine, which was influenced by full-sized caged crawlers, results in a low centre of gravity for increased front and rear control. Chunky 2.2-inch wheels ensure optimum traction on all surfaces. Kids (of all ages!) love the look and design of the Ravine.
With its classic van design on top of monster truck tyres, this has obvious appeal to kids. As well as the yellow, there’s a black edition of the Lunch Box RC car with a definite A Team van feel to it! First released in 1987, this is considered one of the most iconic models ever produced by Tamiya in the 1980s. The unique appearance, and excellent R/C performance, have made it a fan favourite over the years.
A smaller 1/24 scale Tamiya RC Lunch Box Mini is also available and this is a serious contender as the best RC car for kids. This is a neat, nimble RC car mini-van with a tight turning circle offering incredibly entertaining driving experiences.
Shop the Tamiya RC Lunch Box, here.
FTX Havok 1/14 4WD Drift Roadster
Made popular in movies like The Fast And The Furious series, drift racing has a strong appeal to kids. If they fancy experiencing the thrills of it themselves, the Havok allows them to learn figure-eights, doughnuts, and opposite-lock cornering. This is a great RC car for kids as regardless of skill level it enables you to become an experienced sideways driver.
As well as being great fun to drive the FTX Havok has superb styling and detail with the ground beneath lit by LED light strips fixed to either side of the moulded tub chassis, giving the impression of a street race. It also features a moulded front grill and rear light buckets with additional LED intelligent lighting.