A dadcraft Favorite: Hot Wheels Tracks

  by Erik Wolgemuth

I’m pretty sure my kids just discovered perpetual motion.

No…it’s not exactly going to provide a history-altering renewable energy solution. And, yes, it’s far more entertaining than it is functional. Okay, so the fact that we’ve got about 12lbs of D-sized batteries working here clearly contradicts perpetual anything. But, tell you what, I could watch that Hot Wheels car racing through an inverted loop, bank around a few hairpin turns to then receive a blast from the Power Booster loop after loop after loop for a good long while. I’m doubtful that true perpetual motion is as entertaining.

The Hot Wheels Track is one of those steadfast toys. You likely had (or played with) one in your youth and it’s just as good as you remember, with one significant difference that makes it so much sweeter:  You’re enjoying it with your kids. That’s a great moment as a dad.

Be warned, assembly of the track has the potential to be, initially, highly frustrating. Once the cryptic instructions and diagrams were deciphered, however, we made much better progress and assembly became part of the fun. You can follow the included instructions for track design or customize things and make it your own. Either way, the creation process is part of the joy and watching those little heads move as they mirror the circular laps is icing on the cake.

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Looking for other indoor activities to enjoy? Tough to go wrong with a good Pixar movie. Or try out Smart Phone Hide and Seek.

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Picture by Jay Reed; Used via Creative Commons license.