Games
Gliding Cart
Children build carts using cardboard and bottle caps, then glide them down from heights. Through this activity, they explore gravity, motion, friction, and balance in a fun and practical way.
Materials
- Cardboard
- Masking Tape
- Bottle Cap
- Straw
- Sausage Stick
- Scissor
- Paper Cup
- Pebbles
- Double-Sided Tape (Thick)
- Colorful Paper (A4 Thick)
Click on the image to learn more
Checklist
Older game
how to play
Divide the children into groups of 2–3. Begin by telling a short story, such as being engineers designing carts to deliver supplies down a magical hillside or building racing carts for tiny creatures, to spark imagination. Give each group cardboard, bottle caps, straws, and other materials to construct a simple cart. Explain that the cart should be able to glide smoothly when released from a small height. Encourage them to experiment with different shapes, wheel placements, and weight distribution to make their cart move faster and more steadily. If children have difficulty, give hints such as: How can you make the wheels turn freely? How does the cart’s weight affect its speed? How can you balance the cart so it doesn’t tip over? Make sure each child has enough time to build, test, and enjoy their gliding cart while exploring concepts of gravity, motion, friction, and balance.
Challanges
- Let them create the wings on their own and figure out which works best.
- They can use hard paper, regular paper, or cardboard to make the wings.
- Try using fewer or more wheels than 4 for the car to balance it after it lands from flying.
Questions to be asked
- How does your gliding car move without an engine?
- What shape and size do you think would be best for the car and its wings to make it a good gliding car?
- Why do you think the car doesn't stay in the air for a longer time?