Have you thought about model railroading? You learn all kinds of things, history, electronics, electrical wiring, geography, geology, movie scene and set design and route planning. If you're not sure, don't invest a lot of money. I would suggest buying a couple of model railroading magazines for about $10 - $14. See it it's interesting and go from there. You can buy a basic set for about $100. Talk to you Dad or Grandad and see if they might like to join in. Here's some links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESP94avsZ…
http://www.carendt.us/scrapbook/page77/i…
http://www.trains.com/mrr/........http://www.nmra.com/
http://www.hobbylinc.com/hotrainsets.htm
http://www.propmastersinc.com/html/scene…