A hobby that is affordable and fun for any age is RC (remote control). RC has been around since the mid 60's, but has come a long way since then.

The popularity of RC has also grown along with the technology that makes today's RC hobby attractive. RC comes in all types of vehicles from cars to helicopters and can fit all budgets.

Electric RC cars are considered to be the best place to start and for many reasons. First of all, cars can be driven almost anywhere. You can drive your RC car in your garage, your street, or even your back yard.

There is no need to find an open field or a specially made track. You should be able to walk for less than a minute to find a suitable place to drive your RC car.

Secondly, electric RC cars are cheaper than their gas powered brethren. Small beginner models you can pick up at your local toy store for less than $50, but many of the higher-end cars can still be obtained for less than $300.

Lastly, you do not need to spend countless hours on learning to drive them. Unlike RC planes which can take a lot of time to get the hang of. Not to mention how much it will cost you if you crash your plane trying to figure out the dynamics of flight.

Now that you are ready to get started on RC cars I should give you one good piece of advice. I would suggest making a bit of a larger first time investment with your electric RC car. This means get what they call a "hobby-grade" RC car. This is for a few reasons.

1. Toy electric RC cars do not have spare parts. Basically this means that you buy it as a complete set and when it breaks you have to buy a whole new car and controller. Over time this will cost more money.

Buying your controller separately seems more expensive at first, but you can use it with any car you get in the future or even with any other RC vehicle.

The same is true with your car. $200 is obviously more than the $75 car at the toy shop, but when you break the front shocks on your toy car it's done. Whereas with the higher end models you can just order the part for a few bucks.

2. Toy electric RC cars do not allow for tuning and customization. Toy cars not have any standards between brands, size scales, or models. This means you can not go out and buy a new body, wheels, or anything to make your car stand out.

Trust me, when you start getting into it you will want to do this. There are tons of accessories for the hobby-grade RC car.

3. Most hobby-grade manufacturers now make what they call Ready-To-Run (RTR) kits. This means the attractiveness of just opening a box and getting to it is offered by the better cars. This also allows you to bypass the mechanics of your electric rc car and just start enjoying it. When you are ready for the next level you are all set to go.

One of my favorite online hobby shops is HobbyTron (link). You can pick up just about everything there. I first started with a RTR kit from them about 5 years ago. Check there before you drive all over town looking for hobby shops.

Electric RC cars are a great hobby and for many reasons. Once you start to get into it there are racing leagues, endless customization options, and good clean fun.

I often see parents and their kids out at the RC races on the weekend having a blast. It is easy to get hooked, I have endless fun driving my RC buggy.