Wind Races

 Tinkering is about exploring and problem solving using materials and tools. Tinkering often starts with simple questions, like “What can I do with this?” or “How does this work?” 

The Wind Races activity is especially good for children to practice staying focused and deepen their curiosity. 

Getting Ready

Set up a “racing station” on the floor or on a long table. Make a “start” and a “finish” line using painter’s tape or anything that won’t blow away, like two rulers or pillows. Gather your materials and work together to make some fans out of paper by folding each sheet back and forth. 

Things to Try

1. Invite your child to try moving the cotton balls and each of the heavy and light objects you’ve collected by blowing on them through a straw. Then try to move the same objects using wind you make with your fans. Work together to make three piles—one for “moves a lot,” one for “moves a little,” and one for “doesn’t move at all.” 
2. Encourage your child to bring an object to the “racing station” you created and use wind to move their object from one end to the other. How far does their object go with one blow? Two blows? What can they do to the object to help it move further in one blow? 
3. Try testing the same objects on different surfaces, like carpet, grass, cement, and more. Do the different surfaces change how the objects move with the wind? 
4. Work together to make an obstacle course for the objects. Add something to go through, like a box. Add something to go under, like a chair or table. And add something to go around, like stuffed animals. Then... “Ready, get set, blow!” Change the order of the challenges and try again.