It’s Aeroplane Week on The SEN Resources Blog and we are so excited to show you what we made yesterday afternoon with this incredible Spitfire Model Kit by Cheatwell Games. 

Designed for children aged 8+ (and a little help from a grown up) this amazing aircraft is built by pushing out the pieces and slotting them together…without the need for any tools or glue. 

What did we like about it? 

• Fun! – The most important point- the kids LOVED this activity! They really enjoyed finding the correct pieces and slotting them into place. They also had great fun playing with their Spitfire afterwards.

• Teaches the Importance of Following Instructions– This kit is fantastic for helping children (and grown ups!) develop patience and learn why following instructions is so crucial. The instruction booklet is brilliant as it has little words, but instead pictures and numbers- making it accessible for children who find reading challenging. 

• No Sharp/Hard Pieces– I particularly loved how child safe the final model was. Although it still has small parts so not suitable for under 3s, the resulting model plane is soft- unlike so many other airplane models. My children love airplane models but I’m always worried about the die-cast and plastic models in case they fall on them whilst playing and get hurt- this takes away that danger. 

• Family Time- What’s wonderful about this kit is it provides a perfect opportunity for spending time together as a family- even the most independent child will probably want an extra pair of hands to help!

• Rewarding– The final Spitfire is absolutely incredible and understandably  the children were very proud of their creation. It reinforces to children the reward of trying your best!

• Educational- Children learn so many skills whilst building this model plane. The best thing is they don’t even realise it! For example, when following the instructions and finding the correct pieces they are practising key numeracy skills such as  number recognition and number sequencing. And when they are slotting the pieces into place they are perfecting their hand eye coordination, spatial awareness and Fine Motor Skills. It’s not only skills that they develop, but thanks to the informative booklet included- children can also find out all about the history of the Spitfire.