Looking for some help with a toy project

AM420 · 2025-09-14T09:09:24-0400

My daughter's 6th birthday is coming up and she is obsessed with all of the kids at the party having a "stuffy race" where the stuffed toys have a car and race. She wanted to put strings on them and have kids pull them down the road, but I had to tell her that isn't a safe idea. I gave it some thought and think a pinewood derby style setup would be best. My only issue is making cars the toys can be put into.

Right now what I have in mind is cutting out some car shapes from 1/2 or 1/4 ply and then connecting each side with a kind of trough between the toys can sit in. Then use 1/4 dowel and round pieces of ply for wheels.

I'm trying to keep them as narrow as possible because they already beed to be big and wide to hold small stuffed toys. My concern is they may be too light for them to roll too far once they get to the bottom of the hill. They're not small, low and relatively more dense like a pinewood derby car. Maybe steel dowels will have less rolling resistance.

My other concern is how to make the track. I don't have the means or skill to bend curves into long ply panels or board. I was thinking that I may just need to make it a 3-part ramp with a steeper portion, shallower portion, and finally the flat end.

If anyone may have any experience or tips on how to pull this off, I would appreciate any help I can get. Maybe even another way to propel a large toy car with a stuffed animal in it.

mgmine · 2025-09-14T09:27:29-0400

How long do you want to make the track? The longer it is, the easier it is to bend. You can pick up a door skin at Home Depot or Lowe's for $22 and they will cut it to size for you. The skin is 1/8" Masonite and bends very easily. You could make the curved supports out of thicker plywood and cut it with a jigsaw.

aboveboard · 2025-09-14T12:05:51-0400

I would do a "KISS" track.

Buy a piece of 4x8x1/8 inch hardboard. Use a circular saw to cut notches in scrap 2x4s. Push the edges of the hardboard into the notches to form legs to hold the hardboard up so that it forms a ramp. 1/8 inch hardboard is flexible enough and the track does not have to be 4 feet high. You may need a little cross bracing to keep the legs straight.

Let two kids race at a time. If you want to get fancy, cut and glue flexible thin strips to form tracks. A "stop block" board lifted at the top can serve as a starting gate.

AM420 · 2025-09-15T13:23:40-0400

aboveboard said:
I would do a "KISS" track.

Buy a piece of 4x8x1/8 inch hardboard. Use a circular saw to cut notches in scrap 2x4s. Push the edges of the hardboard into the notches to form legs to hold the hardboard up so that it forms a ramp. 1/8 inch hardboard is flexible enough and the track does not have to be 4 feet high. You may need a little cross bracing to keep the legs straight.

Let two kids race at a time. If you want to get fancy, cut and glue flexible thin strips to form tracks. A "stop block" board lifted at the top can serve as a starting gate.

Thanks. I hadn't considered that thinner material would be very bendy in long pieces and easy to turn into a ramp. I ended up using 1/4' ply so I can make some use of it after this one-time setup.

horky · 2025-09-14T12:07:20-0400

Do a search for pinewood derby track plans. There is lots out there to see and build.

weko · 2025-09-19T14:43:48-0400

For your daughter's birthday, organizing a stuffed animal car race is a great idea and completely doable without complicated tools. Instead of pulling them with strings along the road, you can build small cars out of lightweight (1/4") plywood with a simple shape, like an open wagon, wide enough to hold the stuffed animals.

WoodenDreams · 2025-09-20T15:55:07-0400

Have you considered making the vehicles a wagon style. Take things easier. Like a tray on wheels with a back. Maybe with handle-bar sides.

Looking for some help with a toy project

Top Contributors this Month

Recommended Communities