Tiny Crafts for Kids: How to Make a Tiny Cardboard Car in 30 Minutes

Introduction

Hello there!!

Welcome to Makersgeneration: Your favorite destination for cool ideas for STEM Projects and Handcrafts for Kids.

For today's project, we'll be working on kids car crafts using cardboard, household items, and some Physics principles. If that sounds cool, then you should continue reading to learn how.

This is a good STEM project for 2nd-grade kids.

Wind-up Car

This car will be powered by winding up and then letting go of a rubber band. This project will demonstrate Potential and Kinetic energy. Potential energy is energy stored, waiting to take action (wound-up rubber band), while kinetic energy is the energy a moving object possesses (moving car when rubber band released).

The car in this project will be made of the following materials: Cardboard will be used for the body. For the wheels, 4 bottle caps will be used. The axle (rod connecting the wheels), will be made with 2 long pencils. The bearings (the tube that allows the axles to turn freely), will be made with card stock paper.

Material needed

4 bottle caps
One pair of scissors
1 cardboard
1 card stock paper
3 Pencils
1 ruler
1 rubber band
1 paper clip
Glue

Building our Wind-up Car

Step 1

With a ruler and pencil, draw out a rectangle of length: 7 inches (17cm) and width: 5 inches (12cm). Cut out the drawn rectangle with a pair of scissors.

Cardboard of Length - 7 inches and Width - 5 inches

Step 2

At one end of the cardboard, cut out a rectangular notch, (about 2in by 1in).

Step 3

For the bearing: cut your card stock of length: 5 inches and width: 4 inches. Place your long pencil on one end of the cut card stock and roll the paper around the pencil to form a hollow tube then glue the end of the card stock to the body when done (keep some space between the pencil and the paper to allow free movement).

Make two of these bearings using the process above.

Roll card stock around the pencil to make bearings

Step 4

Pick the first bearing and glue it parallel (an inch close) to one end of our previously cut cardboard.

For the second bearing, measure what is left beside the grove cut out on the cardboard then cut the second bearing to that size. Also, glue the two pieces of the second bearing on the cardboard beside the grove accordingly as shown below:

Measure the second bearing and cut it to size

All bearings are attached to cardboard accordingly

Leave the glue to dry up completely.

Step 5

Now, to make our wheels: make holes at the center of the four bottle caps to size the pencils.

Step 6

Pass the two pencils through the two bearings accordingly, then fix the bottle caps at the ends of the pencils (You can secure the bottle caps to the pencil with glue if they don't fit tightly).

Attach axle (pencil) to bearings then attach wheels

Step 7

Cut a small slot in the middle of the piece of cardboard and hook a paper clip through the slot.

Step 8

Loop a rubber band through itself around the exposed part of the pencil where you cut out a notch in the cardboard. Hook the free end of the rubber band onto the paper clip.

Secure the rubber band to the paper clip

Testing of our Car

To move the car, turn the pencil with the rubber band attached (the rubber band should start getting tighter). Once it is tight enough, place your car on a flat surface (a rough surface is preferable) - Your car should start moving forward or backward, depending on the direction of your pencil twist.

Turn the axle to tighten the rubber band

How our car works

This car is powered by force produced by winding up and releasing a rubber band. When you turn the axle (pencil) attached to the rubber band, the rubber band coils around the pencil making it tighter as you continue winding.

The wounded rubber band stores Potential energy as it gets tighter, when you let go of the rubber band, the stored potential energy is converted to Kinetic energy which moves the car.

Troubleshooting

If your car didn't move, it's time for some troubleshooting.

If the rubber band didn't unwind at all, wind it more tightly and try again. You can also try changing the location of the slot for the paper clip to adjust the rubber band's tightness.
If the rubber band unwound but the axle didn't spin, then the rubber band might not have been attached securely enough to the pencil. Try securing the rubber band to the pencil using glue.
If the wheels spun but the car didn't move forward at all, there might not have been enough friction between the wheels and the surface on which you placed your car. Try placing your car on a rough surface. Also, wrapping rubber bands around the wheel can increase friction.

Make small changes and keep experimenting with your car until it begins to move.

Online STEM after-schools and summer camps

You and your children are looking for nice activities to have fun and learn new things ans skills. Come join us starting in May and this summer for more online classes such as:

Python coding for kids and teens
Coding for elementary school students
Make video games
Electronics
How to start coding from Scratch
Digital modeling (Create cars, rockets, rings, etc) for 3D printing
and much more

Other cute things to make and hand-crafts for kids

If you are looking for more ideas for STEM projects and other cool crafts with paper to do with your kids, take a look at these other activities:

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