Races in a Lego Club are always a hit, injecting a dose of exciting chaos into our sessions. We’ve explored various racing formats over the years, from thrilling zip line races to wind-powered speed challenges. Usually, the goal is speed, but this time, we flipped the script. The mission? To build the slowest, possibly even the worst, Lego Car imaginable! Let’s celebrate intentionally awful creations!
The inspiration struck from online posts detailing ramp-based slow car races, where resistance is added to decelerate the vehicles. I loved this concept and adapted it for our Lego Club. After a quick review of our club rules, I announced today’s challenge: a race, but with a twist. Instead of speed, we’d be constructing the slowest Lego cars possible. A true test for our young “Master Builders”!
To demonstrate, I presented two Lego car examples. One was a speedy model from a previous “Rocket Car” challenge. The other, a deliberately slow Lego car I built specifically for this activity, is pictured below. I asked the kids to spot the differences. They quickly noticed the rocket car’s four wheels at both ends, while the slow Lego car only had rear wheels. They also observed the slow car’s large, plow-shaped front, designed to dig into the ramp and create drag, slowing it down. We then raced them to showcase the slow car in action. This demonstration provided a perfect opportunity to introduce STEM concepts like “Drag” and “Resistance” in a fun, hands-on way.
Post-demonstration, the building frenzy began! Builders could design their Lego cars however they wished, with just two rules:
- Resemble a Car: Creations had to vaguely look like a car, not just random bricks.
- Functional Wheels: Each Lego car needed at least two freely moving wheels at the bottom to allow for movement.
While our youngest participants mostly built standard Lego cars, the older kids truly embraced the challenge. Their inventive solutions were remarkable! One child designed a Lego car with moving rear wheels and stationary rubber front wheels for maximum friction. Another built Lego cars that would intentionally flip over to slide slowly down the ramp. Incredibly, some even constructed Lego cars with wheels positioned perpendicularly, causing constant stops and direction changes – pure genius!
Our ramp was a simple long table with two legs folded, creating a rather steep incline. While functional, the steepness meant even slow Lego cars traveled relatively quickly. For future slow car races, a ramp with a gentler slope is definitely recommended. This would allow for truly, exceptionally slow races. It’s a simple idea, but delivers a whole lot of fun!
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