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Build, drive, crash! The racetrack is always a popular spot to play in the museum. It is a place to build your dream car and watch it soar to the finish line, where it will usually be destroyed and ready to be built anew. Read below to find out what your child is learning while they explore the racetrack.
This exhibit is perfect for experiments and using the scientific method. There are opportunities to discuss what you think will happen, watch it, and then discuss if it was the same or different than expected. The cars each have different wheel configurations some are small, some are big, others are a mix of both. You can experiment with how fast the different cars travel on the tracks or see if they go over bumps in the track in the same way. With the big and small wheel cars, do the big wheels in the front or the back work better for the track? Estimate the outcome and experiment next time you come in to play.
Another way to experiment would be to see how different LEGO builds on top of the car impact the speed or how it breaks at the end. The stopper at the end of the track is designed to make the cars explode when they are done racing. Do different builds break differently? Is there a build that stays together for two runs? Or more? There are two different tracks to choose from. Is one always faster than the other? Or does it depend on the cars racing on them? Get out a timer and see what the time to complete each run is with different builds or wheel sizes. You can compare the data at the end and find out how to always have the fastest car.
You can also work in math skills with patterning, matching, or counting. Intentionally choosing the LEGO colors or placing them in an A, B, C pattern will solidify evolving math abilities. Pointing out different patterns or similarities you notice while your child is playing will support them in intentional play and learning. You can work on so many skills while racing cars down a track, what will you do at your next visit?
