Ladies: have you ever asked your partner what he was into as a little kid? If you have, you probably learned about his favorite model airplane, train collection, or model neighborhood he built in his youth. You probably thought it was super adorable to learn that he still thinks every now and again about picking up the craft and starting something new.

There is not much more satisfying that taking up a productive and meaningful pastime. We cook, exercise, watch television, and take vacations. We work in the garden, play video games, do crossword puzzles, and surf the web. But when is the last time you pieced together a 3-dimensional puzzle or built a roving vehicle out of nothing? If you can’t answer with “recently,” then you might think about taking a trip to nearby hobby shops. You’ve probably seen them before and even thought about going inside.

It’s time. Hobby shops are a wonderland for the creative and ambitious. In fact, they are the original DIY craft stores! Piece by piece, you can glue and construct a fanciful world for your train replete with bridges, towns, forests and more. If you have an interest in world history, you can survey the development of the airways by building your own jets, warplanes, or other aircraft. If creating a landscape is more your style, or if you are working on a project as a group, you can get the goods together to build a backdrop.

Piecing together small, imagined worlds is more than a hobby. It can stir up nostalgic memories, reminding us of old times or people we miss. As holidays roll around, consider all the festive environments you could create. A haunted forest perhaps! Or a cornucopia highway? Perhaps you are already thinking ahead to Christmas and imagining a frosted pine forest and a snow-covered hillside. Whatever you decide to build, you will have a great time connecting your project to the mood of the season.

If you do not think you are ready to take up such a challenge as creating a holiday world, it is still an adventure to drop by your local hobby shop to see the creations on display there. You can get lost in the crafts and see what inspires you.

What is Inside a Hobby Shop:

– Models! Airplanes, trains, and communities – you name it! They come as complicated or as simple as you are ready for. 
– Scenery and backdrops for your vehicles, roads, and tracks 
– Technical and electrical kits 
– “How To” guides, DVDs and books that can teach you the craft