Wheelie Builder Crew — Make a Toy Car That Does Wheelies!

Hi Builder! Today you and your crew will make a small toy car that can do a wheelie — where the front wheels lift up and the car balances on the back wheels. An adult should help you. Ready? Let’s build!

What you need

• 1 piece of cardboard about the size of a small book (this is the car body)
• 4 bottle caps (or 4 big beads) for wheels
• 2 wooden skewers or straight sticks for axles (ask an adult to cut them)
• Rubber bands or tape
• Scissors (adult helps)
• Glue or hot glue (adult uses hot glue)
• A small heavy object (a coin or a washer) for weight
• Markers or stickers to decorate

How long it takes

About 20–40 minutes.

Safety first

• Always have an adult help with scissors and hot glue.
• Work on a flat table and keep small pieces away from very young children.

Step-by-step build

1. Ask an adult to help cut a rectangle of cardboard about 15 cm by 8 cm (6" x 3"). This is your car's body.
2. Measure two places near the front edge and the same two places near the back edge for the axles. The front holes should be a little forward of center. Ask an adult to poke small holes for the skewers to fit through.
3. Push a skewer through the two back holes. Put a bottle cap on each end as a wheel. Use glue or tape to hold the wheels on so they turn but don't fall off. Repeat for the front axle.
4. Test that the car rolls. If the wheels rub, move the axles a tiny bit so they spin freely.
5. Now the trick: put a small heavy object (coin or washer) near the back axle on top of the car body. This moves the car’s weight backward so the front can lift up.
6. Place the car on the floor and gently push the back. If the weight is right, the front wheels will lift and the car will do a wheelie and roll on the back wheels.

Troubleshooting tips

• If the front won’t lift: move the weight farther back or use a slightly heavier coin.
• If the car flips backward onto its roof: move the weight a little forward or use a lighter weight.
• If the wheels don’t turn well: make sure the skewers are straight and the holes are not too tight. Put a tiny bit of tape under the axle where it meets the cardboard so it spins easier.

Fun variations

• Decorate the car with markers and stickers to make your Wheelie Builder Crew car look awesome.
• Try different wheel sizes (bigger bottle caps or plastic lids) to see how they change the wheelie.
• Make a ramp and see if the car still does a wheelie after rolling down—always with adult help and on a safe surface.

What you learned

You learned about balance and how moving weight changes how something moves. That’s science and engineering — great job, Builder!

Have fun showing your Wheelie Builder Crew car to friends and making new designs. Keep experimenting and stay curious!