How to Make a Rubber Band Powered Car

Build a speedy car using recycled materials and the stored energy of a rubber band. HowTo: Family Edition: family how-tos that actually help.

1. Prepare the wheels. Ask a grown-up to help you poke a small hole exactly in the center of each of the 4 bottle caps using a pushpin. Make the holes just big enough for the wooden skewers to fit through snugly.
2. Create the axles. Cut your two straws so they are slightly wider than your cardboard tube. Tape the straws across the bottom of the tube, one near the front and one near the back. These will hold your wheels in place.
3. Assemble the car. Slide a wooden skewer through each straw. Push a bottle cap onto each end of the skewers. If they feel loose, use a tiny bit of tape to keep them from sliding off.
4. Add the engine. Tape one end of your rubber band to the center of the rear axle. When you are ready to race, pull the car backward along the floor to wind the rubber band around the axle, then let go!